- 


SKIM 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Mrs.  SARAH  P.  WALS  WORTH. 

Received  October,  1804. 
^Accessions  No.\Jo5'  I  A  •      Class  No. 


3.  If 


THE 


NIGHT  OF  TOIL; 


A  FAMILIAR   ACCOUNT 


LABORS  OF  THE  FIRST  MISSIONARIES 


THE  SOUT 


SLANDS. 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF  THE  "PEEP  OF  DAY." 

.  £   L. 

Master,  -we  liave  toiled  all  the  night,  and  have  taken  nothing ;  neverths. 
less  at  thy  word  I  will  let  down  the  net. — LUKE  5 :  5. 


PUBLISHED    BY    THE 

AMERICAN   TRACT  SOCIETY, 

150    NASSAU-STREET,   NEW    YORK. 


V3 t> 


91*19 


CONTENTS. 


: 


CHAPTER  I. 

Departure  of  the  Duff  from  England,  and  its  arrival  at  Ta- 
hiti,  7 

CHAPTER  II. 

hat  the  Missionaries  did  during  the  first  week  they  spent 
at  Tahiti,  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         15 

CHAPTER  III. 

How  the  Missionaries  first  attempted  to  do  good  to  the  na- 
tives,     .         .         ...         .         .         .         .35 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  singular  manners  and  the  wicked  customs  of  the  people 
of  Tahiti,  .* 36 

CHAPTER  V. 

Sheep  among  wolves,     .         .         .         .         .         .         .     47 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Continued  unbelief  of  the  natives,        ....         56 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  pleasant  surprise, 61 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

How  the  natives  behaved  when  the  Missionaries  preached,    68 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  deaths  of  three  of  the  royal  family,  .         .         .75 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  first  Tahitian  who  learned  to  write,      ,         .         .         81 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Darker  days  than  any  that  had  gone  before,  succeeded  by  very 
bright  ones, .94 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XII.  PAGE 

The  joyful  discovery,  106 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

How  the  idols  were  publicly  insulted,          .         .         .         113 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  battle  which  changed  the  state  of  Tahiti,  .  ..121 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  wilderness  turned  into  a  garden,  .  .  .  130 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
TheBaba,  .  140 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Questions  the  natives  asked  about  religion,  .  .  148 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
What  the  natives  valued  above  all  things  else,  .  .  156 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  chapel  with  three  pulpits,  .  .  .  .  165 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  new  customs  of  Tahiti, 173 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  strangers  from  the  solitary  isle,  .         .         .         180 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Death  of  Pomare  II., 191 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
The  royal  marriage, 200 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
The  coronation  of  the  little  king,  ....  212 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

What  befell  Tahiti  in  the  latter  days  of  the  first  Missiona- 
ries,           222 


PREFACE. 


THE  moral  change  that  has  lately  taken  place  in  the 
South  Sea  Islands  has  attracted  general  attention.  As  it 
appeared  desirable  to  present  the  history  of  this  change 
in  a  form  acceptable  to  youth,  the  particulars  have  been 
carefully  collected  from  various  sources,  especially  from 
the  journals  and  letters  of  the  missionaries,  published  in 
the  seven  volumes  of  "Missionary  Transactions,"  and 
"  The  Quarterly  Chronicle."  Several  more  widely  circu- 
lated works  have  also  been  consulted. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  by  the  slightest  exaggera- 
tion to  heighten  the  interest  of  this  narrative.  It  is  hoped 
that  its  adherence  to  facts  will  be  a  strong  recommenda- 
tion in  the  eyes  of  youth,  who,  while  they  much  prefer 
narrative  to  didactic  writing,  show,  by  the  earnest  and 
oft-repeated  inquiry,  "  Is  it  true  ?"  that  they  value  truth 
above  fiction.  As  the  habit  of  reading  fiction  tends  to 
blunt  this  salutary  predilection,  would  it  not  be  better  to 
encourage  the  young  to  seek  relaxation  in  manual  em- 
ployments, and  in  active  sports,  rather  than  permit  them 
to  indulge  in  this  species  of  reading  ?  A  fondness  for 
reading  cannot  be  desirable,  if  that  fondness  extends  to 
works  that  not  only  indispose  to  useful  studies,  but  may 
be  the  vehicles  of  much  evil.  Many  fabricators  of  tales, 
being  destitute  of  principle,  and  having  it  in  their  powSr 
to  describe  the  results  of  actions  to  be  whatever  they 
please,  leave  a  false  and  pernicious  impression  on  the 


6  PREFACE. 

reader's  mind.  Even  those  writers  of  fiction  who  desire 
to  inculcate  a  good  moral,  may  unintentionally  misrepre 
sent  the  dealings  of  God  with  men.  But  the  narrator  of 
facts  walks  upon  firm  ground.  He  who  undertakes  to 
delineate  the  dealings  of  God  in  his  providence,  affords  so 
many  instances  of  the  truth  of  his  word. 

The  history  of  the  mission  in  the  South  Seas  illustrates 
the  doctrines  of  the  depravity  of  man,  of  the  misery  of  the 
wicked,  of  the  blessedness  of  patient  continuance  in  well- 
doing, and  of  the  power  of  God  in  changing  the  hearts 
of  the  most  obdurate.  If  any  refuse  to  believe  the  testi- 
mony of  the  Lord  in  his  word,  none  can  deny  the  evidence 
of  well-authenticated  facts.  The  Scriptures  themselves, 
frequently  invite  us  to  consider  the  events  of  Providence. 

"  Whoso  is  wise,  and  will  observe  these  things,  even 
they  shall  understand  the  loving-kindness  of  the  Lord." 
Psalm  107 :  43. 

No  candid  and  Christian  mind  will  sympathize  less  in 
the  sufferings,  or  rejoice  less  in  the  success  of  the  devoted 
missionaries  of  the  South  Seas,  on  account  of  any  slight 
points  of  difference  in  discipline,  or  in  forms  of  public 
worship.  We  should  not  forget  our  union  with  the  uni- 
versal church  of  Christ ;  and  when  one  member  suffers, 
we  ought  to  suffer  with  it,  and  when  one  member  is  hon- 
ored, to  rejoice  with  it.  1  Cor.  12 : 26. 

When  we  consider  the  deep  darkness  in  which  the 
heathen  are  involved,  how  insignificant  do  those  shades 
of  sentiment  appear  which  exist  among  true  Christians — 
shades  which  will  soon  be  lost  in  the  light  of  celestial 
glory. 


THE 

NIGHT  OF  TOIL, 


CHAPTER  I. 

DEPARTURE   OF  THE   DUFF   FROM   ENGLAND,  AND  ITS  ARRIVAL  AT 
TAHITI. 

ON  the  other  side  of  this  earth  there  is  an  immense 
tract  of  water,  called  the  South  Seas.  It  is  sprinkled 
with  islands,  as  the  grass  is  dotted  with  flowers  in 
spring,  or  the  sky  is  adorned  with  stars  on  a  dark 
night. 

I  am  going  to  give  an  account  of  one  of  these  isl- 
ands called  Ta-hi-ti,^  and  I  shall  speak  a  little  of 
some  other  islands  that  lie  near  it. 

Tahiti  was  first  seen  by  an  English  captain  called 
Wallis  in  the  year  1767.  It  is  a  most  beautiful  place. 
In  the  midst  of  the  island  mountains  rise  that  reach 
the  clouds,  thick  groves  grow  almost  close  to  the 
shore,  and  clear  streams  run  down  the  mountain 
sides  into  the  sea. 

It  is  always  summer  there,  while  fresh  sea-breezes 
make  the  air  pleasant. 

*  The  name  of  the  island  is  pronounced  as  if  spelt  thus— 
Tah-hee-tee.  The  vowels  in  Tahitian  names  are  called  like 
those  in  French. 


8  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

You  will  desire  to  know  what  kind  of  people  liv- 
ed in  this  lovely  island  when  Captain  Wallis  dis- 
covered it. 

The  inhabitants  were  tall  and  stout,  with  brown 
skins,  dark  eyes,  and  glossy  black  hair.  They  ap- 
peared merry  and  good-natured,  and  were  generally 
laughing  and  playing. 

"When  Captain  Wallis  returned  to  England,  and 
described  the  islands  of  the  South  Seas,  a  great 
many  people  wished  to  see  them.  Other  ships  paid 
visits  to  Tahiti,  and  brought  back  more  accounts  of 
it,  of  the  fine  fruit-trees  that  grew  there,  and  of  the 
pleasant  life  the  inhabitants  led.  There  were  some 
persons,  however,  who  read  these  accounts  with  great 
sorrow.  You  are  surprised  to  learn  that  any  people 
were  sorry  to  hear  of  so  delightful  a  place.  But  wait 
a  little,  and  you  will  not  be  surprised.  I  have  not 
told  you  yet  the  character  of  the  people  who  lived 
in  Tahiti :  they  were  thieves,  liars,  and  murderers — 
could  they  be  happy  ? 

There  were  some  people  who  loved  God  in  Eng- 
land, who  were  grieved  to  think  of  the  poor  natives 
of  Tahiti.  "Ah,"  thought  they,  "you  may  sit  be- 
neath your  spreading  trees,  eating  the  golden  bread- 
fruit, or  drinking  the  sweet  milk  of  the  cocoa-nut; 
but  how  can  you  be  happy  when  you  know  not  of 
the  paradise  above,  nor  of  the  Saviour  who  can  wash 
out  your  many  crimes  in  his  blood  ?  for  soon  death 


THE   DUFF   SAILS.  9 

will  snatch,  you  from  your  sunny  isle,  and  bring  you 
before  the  judgment-seat." 

Did  these  people  in  England  think  it  enough  to 
grieve  for  the  poor  Tahitians  ?  No — they  remem- 
bered who  had  said,  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature ;"  and  they 
formed  a  plan  to  send  the  Gospel  to  Tahiti. 

Several  gentlemen  consulted  together  and  collected 
money,  and  inquired  whether  any  pious  men  would 
go  as  missionaries  to  the  South  Sea  Islands. 

At  last  they  found  thirty  men  who  consented  to 
go.  Only  four  of  these  men  were  ministers :  the  rest 
understood  useful  trades.  Six  of  them  had  wives, 
who  were  to  go  with  them,  as  well  as  three  children 
belonging  to  them.  The  gentlemen  who  agreed  to 
send  them  out  were  called  "The  Directors  of  the 
London  Missionary  Society,"  because  they  met  and 
consulted  together  in  London.  They  bought  a  ship 
called  the  Duff,  and  found  a  very  pious  captain  named 
Wilson  to  manage  it. 

The  missionaries  embarked  from  London  on  the 
river  Thames,  August  10,  1796,  at  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  A  beautiful  flag  waved  in  the  wind  as  they 
set  sail — it  was  purple,  with  three  doves  bearing 
olive-branches  in  their  bills.  It  was  not  a  ship  oi 
war,  but  a  ship  of  peace,  into  which  these  holy  men 
had  entered.  As  they  sailed  down  the  river  they 
sung  the  hymn  beginning, 


10  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

"  Jesus,  at  thy  command, 
We  launch  into  the  deep." 

The  sailors  in  the  ships  they  passed  listened  with 
surprise  to  the  sweet  sounds.  Many  of  their  friends 
stood  on  the  shore,  and  waved  their  hands,  never  ex- 
pecting to  see  them  more,  till  they  met  before  God's 
throne  on  high. 

On  March  5, 1797,  after  a  voyage  of  seven  months, 
they  beheld  at  a  great  distance  the  high  mountains 
of  Tahiti.  The  next  day,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  the  ship  was  very  near  the  shore ;  but  as 
it  was  the  Sabbath,  the  captain  would  not  land  im- 
mediately. 

The  natives  of  Tahiti  saw  the  ship,  and  many, 
jumping  into  their  canoes,  soon  reached  it.  About 
seventy-four  canoes,  some  holding  twenty  people, 
surrounded  the  ship  very  early. 

The  captain  tried  to  prevent  the  natives  getting  on 
deck,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  have  a  crowd  and  con- 
fusion in  his  ship.  But  the  natives  easily  climbed  up 
the  ship's  side,  for  they  were  most  active  creatures, 
and  expert  climbers  and  swimmers. 

As  soon  as  they  were  in  the  ship,  they  began 
jumping,  laughing,  and  shouting,  to  express  their  joy 
at  the  ship's  arrival.  They  hoped  to  get  a  quantity 
of  knives,  and  axes,  and  useful  things — but  knew 
not  what  heavenly  blessings  were  going  to  be  offered 
to  them. 


ARRIVAL  OF  THE  MISSIONARIES.  11 

The  missionaries  looked  at  the  savage  creatures 
with  eagerness,  anxious  to  see  what  sort  of  people 
they  were  going  to  live  among:  and  they  did  not 
much  like  their  wild  appearance,  though  pleased  with 
their  good-natured  manners. 

The  natives  had  brought  a  quantity  of  hogs  and 
fruit  with  them,  which  they  wished  to  sell  to  the 
ship's  company  for  knives  and  other  things;  but  no 
one  would  buy  them,  because  it  was  the  Sabbath. 
The  missionaries  tried  to  make  the  natives  under- 
stand that  it  was  the  day  of  their  God,  who  did  not 
allow  them  to  sell  and  buy  upon  it.  After  a  short 
time  most  of  the  Tahitians  went  back  in  their  ca- 
noes ;  but  about  forty  remained  on  deck.  Here  the 
missionaries  determined  to  have  service.  While  they 
prayed,  the  natives  watched  them  in  silence.  Then 
they  sung  a  hymn  to  a  charming  tune,  and  while 
'they  were  singing,  the  natives  were  so  much  en- 
chanted with  the  sound,  that  they  could  hardly  re- 
frain from  expressing  their  joy.  The  hymn  begins 
thus: 

"  O'er  those  gloomy  hills  of  darkness, 
Look,  my  soul,  be  still,  and  gaze ; 
All  the  promises  do  travail 
With  a  glorious  day  of  grace ! 

Blessed  Jubilee, 
Let  thy  glorious  morning  dawn." 

Afterwards  Mr.  Cover  preached  upon  "God  i» 
love." 


J2  THE   NIGHT  OF   TOIL. 

The  service  was  concluded  by  singing, 
"  Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 

Soon  afterwards,  two  men  arrived  in  a  canoe. 
They  were  white  men  from  Sweden :  one  had  been 
shipwrecked,  and  the  other  left  at  Tahiti,  a  few 
years  before.  They  were  dressed  like  savages,  and 
their  names  were  Peter  and  Andrew.  The  mission- 
aries were  glad  to  see  them,  because  they  knew  a 
little  English  as  well  as  Tahitian;  so  that  they  could 
explain  what  the  natives  said,  and  also  tell  the  mis- 
sionaries many  things  about  the  islands.  However, 
they  turned  out  to  be  very  wicked  men ;  for  though 
they  had  been  born  in  a  Christian  land,  they  were 
even  worse  than  the  heathen. 

Peter  and  Andrew,  as  well  as  about  thirty  of  the 
natives,  wished  to  sleep  that  night  in  the  ship.  The 
missionaries  watched  all  night  by  turns,  as  they  were 
afraid  lest  their  visitors  should  do  some  harm.  They 
remained,  however,  quiet. 

Amongst  the  Tahitians  was  one  old  man  that 
seemed  to  be  looked  up  to  by  the  rest  as  a  great 
person.  He  was  a  high-priest  to  the  idol  gods.  His 
name  was  Mane-mane.  He  was  very  anxious  to 
make  the  captain  his  friend ;  because  it  was  a  cus- 
tom in  Tahiti  to  choose  some  person  for  a  friend,  and 
to  make  him  presents,  expecting  that  he  would  return 
the  kindness  when  he  could.  Mane-mane  wished  to 


LANDING  OF  THE  MISSIONARIES.  13 

have  the  captain "  for  his  friend,  because  he  thought 
he  could  get  the  most  from  him.  At  first  Captain 
Wilson  refused  the  honor :  hut  Mane-mane  was  so 
anxious  to  have  his  wish,  that  he  woke  him  at  day- 
light to  ask  him  again.  Then  the  captain,  knowing 
that  he  was  soon  going  away,  and  afraid  of  affronting 
the  priest,  consented.  Mane-mane  was  delighted, 
changed  names  with  him,  threw  a  piece  of  his  cloth 
round  the  captain,  and  asked  him  for  a  gun.  The 
captain  said  he  had  none  to  spare,  but  would  give 
him  some  presents  by  and  by. 

As  it  was  now  Monday,  the  captain  caused  the 
ship  to  approach  nearer  to  the  shore.  Most  of  the 
natives  in  the  ship  threw  themselves  into  the  sea, 
and  swam  like  fish  to  land :  others  came  from  the 
shore,  and  brought  hogs  and  fruit  to  sell;  some  of 
which  were  bought  by  the  voyagers. 

At  one  o'clock  the  ship's  anchor  was  cast.  It 
rained  so  hard  that  no  one  left  the  ship  till  four 
o'clock,  when  the  captain,  a  few  of  the  missionaries, 
Mane-mane,  and  the  two  Swedes,  went  in  a  boat  to 
land.  The  people  on  shore  received  the  missionaries 
with  delight,  showing  their  joy  as  they  had  done 
before  in  the  ship. 

A  chief  showed  the  missionaries  an  empty  house, 
which  he  said  should  be  given  to  them.  It  was  very 
large,  about  a  hundred  feet  long,  but  it  was  not 
divided  into  rooms,  and  had  no  furniture. 


14  THE   NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

The  missionaries  now  saw  what  sort  of  a  land  they 
were  going  to  live  in.  It  was  more  beautiful  and 
fruitful  than  they  could  have  fancied ;  yet  to  them 
it  was  like  a  desert,  for  it  was  a  heathen  land,  in 
which  no  pleasant  fruits  of  righteousness  grew,  but 
only  the  poisonous  weeds  of  sin.  They  hoped,  how- 
ever, by  their  teaching,  through  God's  Spirit,  it  would 
become  like  Eden,  the  garden  of  the  Lord. 


MISSIONARY  DOINGS.  15 


CHAPTER  II. 

tfHAT   THE   MISSIONARIES    DID    DURING    THE    FIRST    WEEK    THE* 
SPENT   AT   TAHITI. 

AT  eleven  o'clock  the  next  morning,  the  captain 
and  a  few  missionaries  again  went  on  shore  in  their 
boats  with  Mane-mane  and  Peter.  The  natives,  who 
had  crowded  on  the  beach  to  look  at  them,  when 
they  saw  them  approaching,  ran  into  the  sea  to  meet 
them,  dragged  the  boats  towards  the  shore,  and  tak- 
ing the  captain  and  missionaries  on  their  shoulders, 
carried  them  to  land ;  so  great  was  their  delight  at 
their  arrival. 

On  the  beach  the  king  and  queen  of  Tahiti  were 
waiting.  They  were  both  riding  on  men's  shoulders, 
for  it  was  the  custom  of  the  country  that  the  king 
and  queen  should  never  touch  the  ground,  except 
when  they  were  at  home  in  their  own  houses ;  and 
as  there  were  no  animals  larger  than  pigs  in  the 
island,  they  could  only  be  carried  by  men.  It  was 
reckoned  a  great  honor  to  ride  in  this  manner,  and 
one*  which  none  of  the  natives  but  the  king  and  queen 
were  allowed  to  have.  When  the  king  and  queen 
made  a  journey,  men  came  with  them  to  help  those 
who  carried  them,  when  they  were  tired ;  and  in 
changing  from  one  to  another,  the  king  and  queen 


16  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

never  let  their  feet  touch,  the  ground,  but  jumped 
over  the  head  of  one  man  on  to  the  shoulders  of  the 
other.  The  reason  they  never  touched  the  ground 
when  on  a  journey  was,  that  whatever  land  they 
touched  became  their  own,  and  their  people  would 
have  been  angry  if  they  had  taken  away  their  lands 
or  houses. 

The  king's  name  was  Otu.  He  was  about  twenty 
years  old.  He  had  a  dull  and  grave  look,  and  did 
not  seem  so  amiable  as  the  Tahitians  in  general. 
The  queen  was  only  fifteen,  and  not  grave  like  her 
husband. 

The  captain  told  the  king,  and  Peter  interpreted 
what  he  said,  that  the  missionaries  were  come  to  in- 
struct his  people  in  what  would  do  them  good,  and 
that  this  had  been  their  only  reason  for  leaving  Eng- 
land ;  he  then  asked  the  king  to  give  them  a  large 
piece  of  land,  full  of  fruit-trees,  where  they  might 
live  and  build  houses.  He  told  him  also,  that  the 
missionaries  would  never  fight  either  for  him  or 
against  him,  but  would  always  be  friendly  to  him, 
and  only  wanted  him  to  promise  not  to  hurt  them. 

The  king  promised  to  do  as  the  captain  wished. 
He  said  that  the  large  house  that  had  been  given  to 
them,  belonged  to  him,  and  that  he  would  give  it  to 
them,  as  well  as  a  large  piece  of  land.  Otu,  without 
dismounting,  took  the  captain  by  the  hand,  and  led 
him  to  the  house,  and  then  back  to  the  beach,  and 


MISSIONARY    DOINGS.  17 

so  from  one  place  to  another,  till  the  captain  was 
tired,  and  said  he  must  return  to  the  ship.  Before 
they  parted,  Otu  asked  him  to  let  the  guns  he  had 
brought  with  him  be  fired.  The  captain  ordered 
them  all  four  to  be  fired  twice,  and  then  went  back 
with  the  missionaries  to  the  ship. 

The  same  evening  the  king  and  queen  came  to  the 
ship,  each  in  a  small  canoe,  accompanied  by  a  ser- 
vant. They  refused  to  come  on  deck,  saying,  that 
if  they  touched  the  ship  it  would  be  theirs,  and  none 
but  their  own  servants  might  eat  or  dwell  there  after- 
wards. As  the  captain  could  not  spare  his  ship,  he 
did  not  press  them  to  come. 

Wishing  to  please  them,  he  offered  to  have  the 
great  guns  fired ;  but  the  king  said  he  was  afraid 
of  so  loud  a  noise,  and  that  it  would  hurt  his  ears. 
The  king  and  queen  then  told  the  captain  that  they 
had  heard  there  were  some  white  women  and  chil- 
dren in  the  ship,  and  that  they  wished  very  much  to 
see  them,  as  they  had  never  seen  any.  I  suppose 
that  this  was  their  reason  for  coming  that  evening  to 
the  ship.  The  women  and  little  children  came  to 
the  ship's  side,  where  they  could  be  seen  by  the 
king  and  queen.  Little  Sammy  Hassel  was  a  babe 
in  arms.  At  the  sight  of  these  white  faces  the  royal 
pair  cried  out  with  wonder  and  pleasure. 

The  visitors  could  not,  however,  stay  longer,  for 
the  sky  was  darkening,  and  they  had  only  just  time 

9 
Night  of  Toil. 


18  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

to  get  to  shore  before  a  storm  of  thunder  and  light- 
ning came  on. 

On  Wednesday  morning  it  rained  so  hard  that  the 
missionaries  could  not  leave  the  ship  till  nine  o'clock. 
They  were  anxious  to  get  early  on  shore,  because 
they  wanted  to  begin  to  get  their  house  ready.  They 
went  in  a  large  boat,  and  took  their  beds  and  some 
of  their  chests  with  them,  but  left  the  women  and 
children  in  the  ship.  The  captain  and  some  sailors 
accompanied  them.  Numbers  of  natives  were  wait- 
ing on  the  shore,  anxious  to  see  them  land.  The 
king  and  queen  also  were  there,  riding  in  state  as 
before. 

The  natives  helped  to  carry  the  chests  and  beds  to 
the  house,  and  were  ready  to  assist  the  missionaries 
as  much  as  they  pleased. 

The  great  work  to  be  done  was  to  divide  the  house 
into  rooms.  The  natives  went  into  the  woods  to 
gather  hollow  sticks,  called  bamboos,  which,  placed 
close  together,  made  walls  for  the  rooms.  A  bed- 
room was  made  for  each  of  the  missionaries,  besides 
a  room  for  books,  another  for  stores,  and  another  for 
medicines.  A  large  room  at  one  end  was  to  be  used 
as  a  chapel.  It  served  also  as  a  hall,  for  people 
passed  through  it  to  the  other  rooms. 

About  noon  Mane-mane  brought  three  hogs  ready 
dressed  for  dinner.  He  spread  a  great  cloth  on  the 
ground  ;  the  captain  and  missionaries  sat  around  it 


MISSIONARY   DOINGS'.  19 

and,  after  asking  God's  blessing,  ate  thankfully, 
without  either  knife,  fork,  spoon,  table,  or  chair.  It 
seemed  as  if  they  would  not  soon  be  in  want  of  food, 
for  they  received  a  quantity  of  provisions  as  presents 
from  the  natives.  The  natives  had  also  dressed  their 
visitors  in  cloth  made  of  the  bark  of  trees,  to  show 
them  that  they  were  welcome. 

The  missionaries,  when  they  received  these  gifts, 
blessed  the  gracious  Giver  of  every  comfort. 

The  king  and  queen  were  very  kind,  and  held  all 
their  hands  by  turns,  and  shook  hands  also  with 
them ;  then  looked  at  their  clothes  and  examined 
them.  They  were  very  much  pleased  with  Mr. 
Lewis'  umbrella  when  he  spread  it  out;  but  they 
warned  him  not  to  hold  it  over  their  heads,  as  it 
would  then  become  sacred  to  their  use. 

During  the  whole  day  a  company  of  dancers  were 
playing,  dancing,  and  shouting  close  by.  These 
dancers  were  a  most  wicked  set  of  people.  They 
were  called  Areois>  and  spent  their  whole  time  in 
going  about  from  place  to  place,  playing  antics  of  all 
kinds,  to  amuse  themselves  and  other  people.  When 
they  danced,  their  bodies  were  blackened  over  with 
charcoal,  and  their  faces  dyed  red  with  the  juice  of  a 
plant.  They  ought  to  have  been  punished  for  their 
idleness  ;  but  instead  of  that,  they  were  encouraged 
both  by  the  king  and  his  people.  Wherever  they 
went,  they  were  feasted  and  welcomed ;  and,  not 


20  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

withstanding  their  wickedness,  they  were  treated 
with  respect.  They  even  expected,  when  they  died, 
to  go  to  a  very  beautiful  place  at  the  top  of  a  moun- 
tain, where  they  should  always  be  enjoying  them- 
selves. It  is  dreadful  to  think  what  murders  they 
often  committed.  They  would  not  take  the  trouble 
to  bring  up  their  little  children,  but  always  killed 
them  as  soon  as  they  were  born  ;  and  a  great  many 
people  in  Tahiti  followed  their  horrid  example,  as 
you  will  hear  by  and  by.  These  idle  creatures  came 
near  the  door  of  the  missionaries'  house  in  the  after- 
noon, and  began  to  box  and  wrestle,  and  to  knock 
each  other  in  the  face  with  their  heads  for  sport. 
Alas,  poor  ignorant  creatures ;  they  lived  like  the 
beasts  that  perish.  How  sad  it  is  to  think  that  in 
Christian  lands  there  are  people  who  act  like  these 
wicked  heathen.  The  missionaries  were  grieved  at 
the  sight  of  these  dancers  and  their  follies. 

The  natives  had  been  crowding  into  the  house  all 
day,  yet  they  had  not  stolen  any  thing  :  perhaps  they 
had  observed  that  the  missionaries  were  watching 
them  closely  ;  for,  as  you  have  heard  before,  they 
were  all  inclined  to  thieving,  and  they  even  thought 
there  was  no  harm  in  it. 

When  the  evening  was  coming  on,  the  missionaries 
requested  the  natives,  who  were  constantly  laughing 
and  talking,  to  be  silent,  and  then  they  sung  a  hymn, 
and  one  of  them  prayed.  They  liked  to  praise  God 


MISSIONARY  DOINGS.  21 

before  the  natives,  that  these  poor  heathen  might  be 
led  to  inquire  about  him. 

The  missionaries  then  requested  the  natives  to  go 
away,  and  not  to  return  till  the  morning  ;  and  when 
they  were  gone,  the  little  band  of  Christians  held 
their  regular  family  worship  alone  and  undisturbed. 
They  supped  upon  the  remains  of  their  dinner,  and 
for  the  first  time  slept  on  a  heathen  shore.  Their 
hearts  were  overflowing  with  thankfulness  to  God 
for  having  brought  them  across  the  ocean  to  this  dis- 
tant spot,  and  for  having  inclined  the  hearts  of  stran- 
gers to  receive  them  so  kindly.  All  they  desired  was, 
that  their  message  might  be  believed,  and  that  the 
Lord  might  be  honored  by  these  poor  idolaters. 

The  next  day  was  Thursday.  Early  in  the  morn- 
ing the  natives  came  to  the  house,  and  boiled  the 
water,  and  prepared  cocoa-nuts  and  bread-fruit  for 
the  missionaries'  breakfast. 

The  missionaries  had  not  yet  finished  fitting  up 
the  house,  so  that  they  continued  to  work  hard.  How- 
ever, they  went  to  the  ship  to  dinner,  and  some 
of  the  natives  went  with  them.  Otu  went  in  his 
canoe  ;  but  not  being  able,  on  account  of  his  sacred- 
ness,  to  enter  the  ship,  he  remained  paddling  near  in 
his  canoe,  and  called  out  for  something  to  eat.  The 
captain  sent  him  half  a  roast  pig  in  a  dish,  and  some 
biscuit.  Otu,  highly  delighted,  paddled  to  the  shore 
with  his  present. 


22  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

The  missionaries  returned  after  dinner  to  their 
work ;  but  they  did  not  find  the  natives  so  active  as 
before.  They  were  now  tired  of  fetching  bamboos  ; 
but  upon  a  reward  being  promised,  they  br.ought  by 
evening  a  good  quantity. 

So  many  presents  of  food  arrived,  that  the  mission- 
aries began  to  fear  they  should  not  be  able  to  make 
as  many  presents  in  return  as  the  givers  would  expect, 
who  they  knew  were  interested,  covetous  creatures. 

On  Friday  the  captain  came  early  from  the  ship 
with  a  box  in  his  boat  containing  dresses  for  the  king 
and  queen.  Otu  was, on  the  beach  as  usual ;  for  he 
had  a  little  shed  built  near,  that  he  might  always  be 
at  hand.  Peter  showed  Otu  the  box,  and  telling  him 
what  was  in  it,  asked  him  to  go  with  them  to  a  place 
close  to  his  house,  in  order  that  he  might  be  able  to 
dismount. 

The  whole  party  soon  stopped  under  a  tree  near 
the  king's  shed.  The  captain  asked  them  all  to 
stand  in  a  ring.  He  then  placed  the  box  in  the 
midst,  and  requested  the  king  to  alight  from  Ms  seat, 
that  he  might  be  dressed  in  his  new  clothes.  But 
the  king  only  answered,  "  By  and  by,"  and  continued 
to  look  sullenly  at  the  unopened  box.  The  captain, 
tired  of  waiting,  opened  the  box  and  took  out  the 
queen's  dress.  The  instant  the  queen  saw  it,  she 
jumped  off  the  man's  shoulders,  and  the  king  followed 
her  example.  She  put  on  the  cap,  and  appeared 


MISSIONARY    DOINGS.  23 

delighted.  The  dresses  were  too  small  both  for  her 
and  Otu,  who  was  tall  and  stout ;  arid  it  was  neces- 
sary to  rip  some  of  the  seams.  The  clothes  were  gay, 
and  the  crowd  around  admired  the  king  and  queen 
much  when  they  were  dressed  in  them  ;  but  Otu  did 
not  care  for  them,  and  said  that  a  gun,  a  knife,  or  a 
pair  of  scissors,  would  have  been  of  more  use.  Thk 
was  not  a  polite  way  of  receiving  a  present,  but  it 
was  a  sensible  choice  to  make  ;  indeed,  though  Otu 
appeared  stupid,  he  had  a  good  understanding,  as  you 
will  see  hereafter. 

Just  after  the  royal  pair  had  been  dressed,  Mane- 
mane  appeared  with  some  beautiful  Tahitian  cane  in 
his  hand.  He  called  his  friend  the  captain  to  him, 
and  dressed  him  in  it.  They  then  went  together  to 
the  missionaries'  house,  and  found  the  work  going  on 
well.  A&  it  was  now  past  noon,  the  old  priest  accom- 
panied the  captain  to  the  ship  to  dinner. 

On  Saturday  the  house  was  ready  for  the  women 
and  children,  although  not  yet  finished ;  and  after 
dinner  they  went  to  the  shore  in  the  largest  boat.  A 
very  great  crowd  was  assembled  on  the  beach,  eager 
to  see,  what  they  had  never  seen  before,  white  women 
and  children.  They  were  all  much  delighted  with 
their  appearance.  The  king  and  queen  seemed  afraid 
to  come  near,  or  to  speak  to  the  women  ;  but,  on  be- 
ing invited,  they  accompanied  the  party  to  the  new 
house.  After  the  women  and  children  were  gone 


24  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

into  it,  the  crowd  still  remained  outside,  and  often 
called  to  them  to  show  themselves  at  the  door ;  and 
their  request  was  granted. 

Thus  the  whole  family  of  missionaries  were  settled 
in  their  new  abode  on  Saturday,  just  one  week  after 
they  had  caught  sight  of  Tahiti.  Then  they  had 
been  full  of  anxious  fears,  not  knowing  how  they 
should  be  treated  by  the  savages ;  but  now  they 
blessed  God  for  giving  them  favor  in  the  eyes  of  the 
heathen. 

They  told  the  natives,  that  the  next  day  was  the 
day  of  the  true  God ;  and  that  they  should  do  no 
work  upon  it,  nor  receive  any  presents.  The  natives, 
however,  brought  them  far  more  than  enough  food  to 
last  them  till  Monday.  They  said  to  the  missiona- 
ries, "  Shall  you  pray  more  than  usual  to-morrow  ?" 
The  missionaries  told  them  that  they  should. 

At  dusk  the  natives  left  the  house,  as  they  now 
always  did,  without  being  asked  to  do  so. 


MISSIONARIES'    SABBATH.  25 


CHAPTER  III. 

HOW  THE   MISSIONARIES   FIRST  ATTEMPTED   TO  DO  GOOD   TO  THE 
NATIVES. 

You  shall  now  hear  how  the  missionaries  passed 
their  first  Sabbath  on  a  heathen  shore. 

They  had  service  in  the  chapel  of  their  dwelling 
in  the  morning.  Many  of  the  natives  attended  and 
behaved  well,  though  they  understood  nothing  that 
was  said.  The  king  also  was  present. 

In  the  afternoon  they  came  again,  and  then  Mr. 
Jefferson  began  to  speak  to  them,  and  Andrew  the 
Swede  to  interpret  each  sentence  as  he  spoke  it. 
This  was  an  unpleasant  way  of  preaching,  particu- 
larly as  the  Swede  was  a  wicked  man,  and  could  not 
speak  affectionately  to  the  people,  as  a  pious  man 
would  have  done.  However,  the  missionaries  were 
so  anxious  to  declare  to  the  poor  heathen  the  good 
news  of  a  Saviour,  that  they  could  hardly  bear  to 
wait  till  they  knew  the  language  themselves. 

When  the  natives  saw  that  Mr.  Jefferson  was 
preaching  to  them,  they  began  to  look  attentive,  and 
to  ask  questions  in  reply.  They  inquired,  "  Is  this 
message  to  the  servants,  as  well  as  to  the  king  and 
queen  ?" 

The  minister  told  them  it  was  to  all.     He  also 


26  THE   NIGHT   OF   TOIL. 

said,  "  There  is  only  one  true  Grod,  and  all  men  have 
offended  him  by  wickedness ;  yet  he  is  so  merciful 
that  he  is  willing  to  forgive  all.  If  any  believe  his 
word,  he  blesses  them  while  they  live,  and  takes 
them  to  everlasting  happiness." 

The  king  looked  very  stubborn  and  unteachable 
during  the  service,  and  it  seemed  less  likely  that  he 
should  believe  than  any  of  the  rest. 

The  missionaries  retired  to  rest  again  that  evening, 
full  of  hope  that  God  would  incline  the  hearts  of  the 
people  to  believe  his  word. 

On  Monday  the  captain  saw  for  the  first  time  the 
grandfather  and  the  father  of  the  king. 

Do  not  you  wonder  how  it  was  that  Otu  was  king 
while  they  were  alive  ?  for  you  know  it  is  the  cus- 
tom in  most  countries  for  the  son  not  to  reign  till  the 
father  is  dead.  But  this  was  not  the  custom  in  Ta- 
hiti. As  soon  as  a  king  had  a  son,  the  baby  became 
king,  unless  his  father  chose  to  kill  him  as  soon  as  he 
was  born.  The  father  from  that  time  rode  no  more 
on  men's  shoulders,  and  he  himself  showed  respect  to 
his  own  son,  as  to  a  king ;  yet  the  father  still  had 
the  power  of  a  king,  though  not  all  the  honor -of  a 
king. 

The  father  of  Otu  was  called  Pomare.  He  was  a 
very  wise  man  for  a  heathen.  Once  he  had  been 
only  a  chief,  but  he  had  conquered  all  the  other  chiefs 
in  Tahiti,  and  had  become  king  of  the  whole  island, 


POMARE    AND    OTEU.  27 

as  well  as  of  an  island  near  it,  called  E-i-me-o.  He 
was  the  largest,  tallest  man  in  the  whole  island,  and 
had  a  pleasant,  cheerful  manner.  He  was  still  treated 
with  so  much  respect,  that  it  was  thought  improper 
for  him  to  feed  himself:  when  he  drank  tea  in  the 
ship,  his  servants  poured  the  tea  into  the  saucer,  and 
held  it  to  his  mouth. 

His  wife  Idia  accompanied  him  to  the  ship.  She 
was  a  tall,  strong  woman,  who  had  often  shed  blood 
in  battles. 

Oteu,  the  grandfather,  was  above  seventy  years 
old,  and  had  gray  hair  and  a  very  long  white  beard. 
He  was  treated  with  great  rudeness  by  his  son  Po- 
mare,  and  his  grandson  Otu,  on  account  of  his  age ; 
for  it  was  one  of  the  sinful  practices  of  Tahiti  to  treat 
old  men  with  rudeness.  Pomare  would  hardly  let 
the  old  rnan  come  into  the  captain's  cabin  when  they 
visited  the  ship,  and  tried  to  make  him  stay  in  his 
canoe.  The  heathen  knew  not  the  command,  "  Thou 
shalt  rise  up  before  the  hoary  head,  and  honor  the 
face  of  the  old  man." 

Pomare  had  many  great  faults.  He  was  very  fond 
of  eating  and  drinking.  Once  when  he  dined  with 
the  captain,  he  ate  a  whole  fowl,  besides  two  pounds 
of  pork,  and  drank  a  great  deal  of  wine.  Another 
day  he  drank  almost  a  whole  bottle  of  wine,  while 
he  appeared  unwilling  that  Mane-mane,  who  was  as 
fond  of  good  things  as  himself,  should  have  one  single 


28  THE    NIGHT    OF  TOIL. 

glass.     The  wine  was,  of  course,  poured  down  his 
throat  by  his  servants. 

Pomare  was  also  very  covetous,  and  did  not  scru- 
ple to  tell  lies  when  convenient.  He  made,  indeed, 
handsome  presents,  but  it  was  only  in  the  hope  of 
getting  more  in  return.  The  first  day  he  came  to 
the  ship,  he  brought  four  large  pieces  of  cloth  made 
of  bark,  and  wrapped  them  round  the  captain,  be- 
sides four  more  as  a  present  from  his  wife.  A  few 
days  afterwards  he  came  again  with  another  piece 
of  cloth,  but  this  time  he  brought  also  a  large  chest. 
The  captain  knew  well  that  Pomare  intended  that 
he  should  fill  it  with  presents,  but  pretending  not  to 
understand,  he  asked  him  what  it  was  for.  Pomare 
seemed  perplexed  at  the  question,  being  ashamed  to 
own  his  intention,  and  said  he  only  wanted  to  have 
the  lock  repaired.  The  captain  then  told  him  to 
take  it  to  the  shore  to  the  missionaries,  and  that  one, 
who  was  a  blacksmith,  would  mend  it.  This  answer 
perplexed  Pomare  still  more  ;  but  presently  he  smil- 
ed, as  if  a  lie  was  no  disgrace,  and  said,  "  It  is  for 
the  presents  that  you  will  give  to  me  and  my  wife 
Idia.  Will  you  cake  it  to  your  cabin,  that  my  peo 
pie  may  not  see  what  I  receive  ?"  So  Pomare  went 
with  his  chest  into  the  cabin,  and  seated  himself. 
The  captain  then  asked  him  what  he  would  like  to 
have.  He  seemed  at  a  loss  what  to  choose,  but 
Mane-mane  soon  helped  him,  and  then  he  mentioned 


THE    SABBATH.  29 

the  following  things.  Ten  axes,  five  shirts,  eight 
looking-glasses,  six  pairs  of  scissors,  six  knives,  fifty 
nails,  and  five  combs,  and  the  same  number  of  each 
of  those  things  for  his  wife ;  besides  an  iron  pot,  a 
razor,  and  a  blanket  for  himself.  The  captain  gave 
him  all  he  asked,  and  locked  the  things  up  in  the 
chest,  for  the  lock  was  perfectly  good.  Pomare  said 
he  was  quite  satisfied,  but  as  he  walked  about  the 
ship,  and  saw  many  things  lying  about  belonging  to 
the  missionaries,  ready  to  be  taken  to  their  house,  he 
wanted  some  part  of  all.  The  missionaries,  however, 
knowing  his  covetous  disposition,  gave  him  very  little. 

The  next  Sabbath,  at  ten  o'clock,  the  missionaries 
called  the  natives  together  under  some  shady  trees 
near  their  house.  They  had  placed  a  long  bench 
there,  on  which  they  asked  Pomare  to  sit  with  them, 
while  the  people  stood  or  sat  in  a  circle  around. 

Pomare  had  never  been  present  at  the  Sunday 
service  before.  He  had  been  anxious  to  come,  and 
said  that  he  nad  dreamed  of  the  book  which  should 
be  sent  from  the  God  of  England. 

Mr.  Cover  preached  from  John  3  :  16.  "God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only-begotten  Son, 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life."  Peter  the  Swede,  as 
usual,  interpreted  each  sentence.  The  natives  were 
grave  and  attentive,  though  they  did  not  understand 
the  real  meaning  of  the  message. 


30  THE   NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

Pomare,  after  service,  took  Mr.  Cover  by  the  hand 
and  said,  "Mai-tai,  mai-tai,"  very  good,  very  good. 

He  was  then  asked,  "  Did  you  understand  what 
was  said  ?" 

He  replied,  "  There  were  once  no  such  things  in 
Tahiti ;  they  are  not  to  be  learned  at  once.  I  will 
wait  the  coming  of  the  god."  This  answer  showed 
that  he  did  not  really  understand.  He  then  said, 
"  May  I  come  again  ?"  He  was  told  that  he  might 
He  and  his  wife  Idia  then  dined  with  the  mission- 
aries and  departed. 

After  some  time  the  blacksmith's  shop  was  built, 
and  the  missionaries  Hodges  and  Hassel  began  to 
work  in  it ;  the  natives  crowded  round  them,  but 
when  they  saw  the  sparks  fly  from  the  iron,  and 
heard  the  water  hiss,  they  were  frightened  and  ran 
away :  however,  when  their  fright  was  over  they 
returned.  Pomare  was  so  delighted  with  the  bel- 
lows and  forge,  that  he  caught  the  blacksmith,  all 
dirty  as  he  was,  in  his  arms,  and  rubbed  noses  with 
him,  which  was  the  way  of  showing  affection  in 
Tahiti. 

The  missionaries  had  a  cuckoo  clock,  which  terri- 
fied the  natives  when  they  first  heard  it  strike.  One 
man  brought  some  bread-fruit  to  feed  the  wooden 
bird  with. 

The  missionaries  smiled  at  these  little  circum 
stances  ;  they  did  not  smile,  however,  but  were  ready 


PRIESTS    AND   GODS  31 

to  weep  at  the  folly  of  the  people  respecting  their 
idols.  Their  favorite  god  Oro  was  nothing  more  than 
a  great  log  of  wood  about  the  size  of  a  man.  He 
was  kept  in  a  little  shed  amongst  trees  surrounded 
by  a  stone  wall.  In  this  place  there  were  altars, 
which  were  like  high  tables,  and  on  these  lay  a 
quantity  of  dead  pigs,  that  remained  there  for  months, 
and  filled  the  air  with  a  horrible  odor.  This  place 
was  called  a  Marae.  Dreadful  deeds  of  cruelty  were 
done  in  it.  Men  were  sacrificed  and  hung  in  large 
baskets  on  the  trees  around,  till  their  flesh  was  de- 
cayed. It  was  horrible  to  see  a  marae,  or  to  corns 
near  it.  No  woman  was  allowed  to  approach,  as 
she  was  not  reckoned  worthy  of  the  honor  ;  neither 
was  she  considered  worthy  of  being  a  sacrifice. 

The  priests  wished  the  people  to  give  many  things 
to  Oro}-  because  they  themselves  got  all  that  was 
given ;  so  they  told  the  people  that  the  gods  would 
get  into  their  food  and  kill  them,  if  they  did  not  do 
all  they  wished.  The  priests  used  to  speak  instead 
of  the  gods :  they  would  sometimes  take  a  great 
bundle  of  cloth  and  roll  it  up  like  a  ball,  and  get 
into  it,  and  then  say  in  a  squeaking  voice,  "  I  am 
angry,  fetch  the  hogs,  kill  a  man,  and  my  anger  will 
oe  over."  The  people  knew  that  the  priest  was  in- 
side the  cloth,  and  yet  they  were  afraid  of  the  god's 
anger. 

They  thought  that  their  gods  had  made  the  world, 


32  THE    NIGHT   OF    TOIL 

and  that  one  of  them  had  stuck  the  stars  in  the  sky, 
and  that  another  very  strong  god  held  the  sun  with 
ropes,  and  would  not  let  him  go  faster  than  he 
pleased. 

They  kept  some  gods  in  their  houses  :  in  one  house 
the  missionaries  saw  a  great  many  images,  each  with 
a  sword  or  hammer  in  his  hand,  and  they  were  told 
by  the  priests  that  those  gods  would  kill  any  one  that 
offended  them,  unless  the  offender  offered  some  sacri- 
fice for  his  crime. 

The  people  fancied  their  gods  were  like  themselves 
in  disposition.  There  was  one  god  called  Hiro,  who 
they  thought  protected  thieves ;  and  when  they  were 
going  to  steal,  they  often  promised  to  give  him  part 
of  what  they  should  get.  A  man  who  had  been 
stealing  a  pig  in  the  night,  would  bring  a  piece  of  its 
tail  next  morning  to  Hiro,  and  say,  "  Here  is  .a  piece 
of  the  pig  I  stole  last  night ;  but  don't  you  tell." 
There  was  a  large  stone  in  the  island,  behind  which 
they  said  Hiro  hid  himself  when  he  was  caught  steal- 
ing, and  was  ashamed. 

The  missionaries  found  to  their  cost  how  much  the 
natives  resembled  the  god  Hiro.  One  day  a  man 
stole  a  box  for  the  sake  of  the  nails  that  fastened  it 
together ;  he  was  caught  and  shut  up  by  the  mis- 
sionaries for  three  hours,  and  was  threatened  with 
a  worse  punishment  another  time.  Pomare,  hearing 
of  it,  brought  a  pig  to  prevent  the  missionaries  being 


CRIMES    OF    THE    NATIVES.  38 

angry,  but  of  course  it  was  not  accepted.  No  won- 
der Pomare  thought  that  the  missionaries  were  as 
covetous  as  their  gods. 

The  missionaries  hired  three  men  as  servants  to 
take  care  of  their  hogs,  which  now  amounted  to 
seventy,  and  to  help  in  cooking.  These  servants  soon 
began  to  pilfer.  One  of  them,  whom  they  had  nursed 
when  he  was  ill,  stole  many  things,  and  then  left 
their  service.  After  he  was  gone,  they  found  out 
what  he  had  done,  and  they  sent  after  him  and 
caught  him.  They  reminded  him  of  the  kindness 
they  had  shown  him,  and  of  his  behavior  in  return ; 
his  conscience  told  him  it  was  wrong  to  be  ungrate- 
ful, for  tears  came  in  his  eyes,  and  he  said,  "  I  am  a 
very  bad  man." 

Another  day,  while  Dr.  Gillham  was  bathing,  a 
native  stole  his  clothes ;  the  other  missionaries  pur- 
sued him,  and  hearing  the  sound  of  a  drum,  thought 
that  he  might  be  dancing,  which  was  the  case.  A 
hundred  people  were  with  him,  who  fled  when  they 
saw  the  missionaries.  The  thief  was  brought  to 
their  house,  and  chained  to  a  pillar  with  a  padlock ; 
but  he  not  only  contrived  to  get  away,  but  to  steal 
the  padlock. 

The  king  one  day  sent  a  message  to  the  mission- 
aries, advising  them  to  discharge  their  servants  be- 
cause they  were  thieves,  and  recommending  them  to 
take  some  of  his ;  but  the  missionaries  knew  too 

o 

Night  of  Toil- 


34  THE   NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

well  that  the  king's  servants  were  greater  thieves 
than  any  others,  because  the  king  was  always  em- 
ploying them  in  stealing  things  for  him,  and  they 
felt  sure  he  only  wanted  them  to  have  his  servants, 
that  they  might  rob  them  and  bring  him  the  things. 

But  murder,  which  is  a  much  more  horrible  crime 
than  stealing,  was  quite  common.  The  missionaries 
tried  to  persuade  Pomare  to  forbid  people  to  kill 
their  children.  They  endeavored  also  to  persuade 
Mane-mane  to  offer  no  more  human  sacrifices.  Both 
Pomare  and  Mane-mane  promised  to  do  as  the  mis- 
sionaries wished,  but  they  did  not  keep  their  promise 

One  Sunday  Mr.  Lewis  preached  upon  "  Thou 
shalt  not  kill."  The  people  said  afterwards,  "  Good 
is  the  word  not  to  kill  children,  not  to  sacrifice  men." 
Mane-mane  was  observed  to  whisper  something  to 
another  native.  The  missionaries  asked  him  what 
he  had  said,  and  he  replied,  "  I  was  telling  the  peo- 
ple to  leave  off  their  wicked  ways."  Yet  he  had  not 
left  off  his  own  wicked  ways.  He  was  like  the  man 
to  whom  Paul  speaks  in  Romans  2:1. 

Before  the  ship  left,  Mane-mane  was  one  day  ob- 
served to  drink  more  wine  than  usual.  The  reason 
was,  he  was  going  to  kill  a  man,  and  wanted  the 
wine  to  keep  up  his  courage,  which  showed  that  he 
felt  it  to  be  a  horrible  work. 

About  this  time  Pomare's  wife  Idia  killed  her  baby. 
The  missionaries  had  told  her  often  how  wicked  it 


MURDER    AND    SACRIFICE.  35 

was  to  do  such  things  ;  they  had  even  promised  that 
their  wives  would  take  care  of  all  babies  that  the 
natives  did  not  like  to  bring  up.  So  they  were  much 
displeased  with  Idia.  Soon  afterwards  she  came 
with  a  large  present  of  hogs  to  the  missionaries  ;  but 
they  would  not  accept  them,  and  told  Andrew  to 
tell  her  the  reason.  She  was  much  offended,  and 
said  she  should  observe  the  customs  of  the  country 
without  caring  for  their  displeasure  ;  she  would  not, 
however,  take  back  her  present.  She  had  before 
given  the  missionaries  some  wood  with  which  to 
make  her  a  chest.  They  thought  it  right  to  give 
her  this  chest,  and  she  carried  it  off  with  pleasure. 

The  hogs  Idia  had  left,  the  missionaries  desired 
Mane-mane  to  divide  among  the  natives ;  but  he 
took  them  all  home  to  his  own  house. 

Such  were  the  people  amongst  whom  the  mission 
aries  lived.  They  were  continually  praying  for  them, 
and  sighing  over  their  lost  state,  but  they  could  not 
yet  preach  to  them  as  much  as  they  wished. 


THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  SINGULAR  MANNERS  AND  WICKED  CUSTOMS  OF    THE   PEOPLE 
OF   TAHITI. 

LET  us  now  pause  a  moment  to  inquire  what 
were  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people  for 
whose  souls  these  missionaries  labored.  I  will  first 
speak  of  their  food,  and  of  their  manner  of  taking  it. 

FOOD. 

No  corn  nor  grapes  grew  in  Tahiti ;  therefore  the 
inhabitants  could  neither  eat  bread  nor  drink  wine ; 
but  the  trees  bore  an  abundance  of  fruit,  upon  which 
the  people  lived.  The  chiefs  often  ate  the  flesh  of 
hogs,  and  sometimes  of  dogs,  for  both  these  animals 
fed  chiefly  upon  fruit. 

Rats  were  the  only  beasts,  besides  hogs  and  dogs 
on  the  island,  when  first  discovered  :  they  were  very 
troublesome,  and  were  always  running  over  the  beds 
and  over  the  food  of  the  people,  but  they  were  not 
eaten  by  them.  Captain  Cook  had  left  some  cats  in 
Tahiti,  which  were  very  useful. 

The  Tahitians  had  no  regular  times  for  their 
meals ;  but  they  generally  had  three  every  day 
They  had  no  iron  pots,  therefore  they  could  only 
bake  their  food  in  holes  in  the  ground,  or  broil  it  on 


FOOD.  37 

the  ashes  of  the  fire.  The  most  usual  dinner  was 
fish  and  breadfruit.  They  were  served  up  on  leaves, 
and  eaten  upon  leaves  instead  of  plates.  A  cocoa- 
nut  shell  full  of  salt  water  was  placed  beside  each 
person,  and  every  morsel  was  dipped  in  it  before  it 
was  eaten.  English  people  dislike  this  sauce  very 
much,  but  the  Tahitians  think  it  gives  a  relish  to  the 
food.  Different  sorts  of  fruit  were  often  mixed  to- 
gether, and  made  into  puddings.  The  only  way  of 
heating  them  was  by  putting  hot  stones  into  the 
cocoa-nut  milk,  with  which  the  fruit  was  mixed. 

But  however  nice  the  food  was,  there  was  one 
circumstance  that  made  the  meal  far  less  pleasant 
than  one  taken  in  England ;  for  the  father  and 
mother,  brothers  and  sisters,  never  ate  together. 
The  men  and  boys  generally  took  their  meals  to- 
gether in  the  house ;  but  each  woman  and  girl  ate 
alone  in  a  little  hut  built  for  the  purpose.  Do  you 
not  wonder  what  could  be  the  reason  of  so  strange  a 
custom  ?  The  reason  was,  that  the  Tahitian  men 
called  the  women  common,  and  not  fit  to  eat  with 
them,  who  they  said  were  holy  :  for  the  same  reason, 
they  would  not  allow  women  to  eat  any  of  the  kinds 
of  food  that  were  offered  to  the  gods,  such  as  hogs, 
fowls,  cocoa-nuts,  plantains,  turtle,  and  many  sorts 
of  fish.  All  these  things  were  called  sacred,  and 
unfit  for  women.  The  men  and  women  had  also 
their  food  kept  in  different  baskets,  and  cooked  at 


38  THE    NIGHT  OF   TOIL. 

different  fires.     A  man  would  not  even  drink  out  of 
a  cup  that  had  been  used  by  a  woman. 

HOUSES* 

The  houses  were  generally  built  by  the  sea-shore, 
and  under  the  shade  of  breadfruit-trees.  Their  shape 
was  long  and  narrow  ;  the  walls  were  made  of  posts, 
placed  two  or  three  inches  apart,  so  that  the  passers- 
by  could  see  into  the  house,  as  into  a  birdcage.  There 
were  no  windows  in  them,  for  none  were  needed ; 
there  was,  however,  a  door  tied  by  cord  to  a  post  at 
one  end. 

The  roof  was  made  of  reeds,  covered  with  large 
leaves.  These  roofs  soon  became  old,  and  were  often 
repaired.  The  beds  were  mats,  made  of  cocoa-nut 
leaves  woven  together,  and  the  pillows  were  blocks 
of  wood.  These  mats  were  placed  side  by  side  all 
down  the  house,  and  sometimes  there  were  fifty  or 
sixty  in  one  house ;  for  the  Tahitians  were  fond  of 
company  both  night  and  day.  The  floor  was  covered 
with  dried  grass,  which  soon  became  very  unpleasant 
from  the  food  that  was  spilt  upon  it.  There  were 
no  gardens  round  the  house ;  but  sometimes  there 
was  a  little  court  enclosed  by  a  low  railing,  and  a 
walk  made  of  black  and  white  coral  up  to  the  house. 

There  was  no  comfort  or  peace  in  these  houses, 
but  continual  riot,  laughing,  and  talking,  even  during 
the  night. 


DRESS.  30 

When  the  people  travelled,  as  they  often  did,  they 
lodged  in  small  sheds  by  the  sea-shore  with  their 
canoes  ;  for  they  generally  went  by  water,  and  landed 
where  they  wished. 

DRESS. 

The  men  and  women  dressed  nearly  alike.  They 
wore  several  yards  of  cloth  of  bark,  wrapped  round 
their  bodies,  and,  over  their  shoulders,  either  a  shawl 
or  a  tiputa. 

You  will  ask  what  a  tiputa  was. 

It  was  a  piece  of  cloth  with  a  hole  in  the  middle, 
through  which  the  head  passed,  while  the  ends  of 
the  cloth  hung  down  before  and  behind,  and  were 
confined  round  the  waist  by  a  girdle.  As  the  cloth 
was  spoilt  by  the  rain,  in  wet  weather  matting  was 
worn. 

The  natives  had  one  strange  custom,  called  tattoo- 
ing. They  covered  their  skins  with  pictures  of  beasts, 
birds,  flowers,  and  trees.  These  pictures  were  drawn, 
not  with  a  pencil,  but  with  a  sharp  fishbone  fastened 
to  the  end  of  a  stick.  After  the  marks  were  made, 
a  dark  stuff,  made  of  the  juice  of  a  plant,  was  put 
>nto  them.  This  operation  was  very  painful.  It 
was  done  to  the  young  people,  when  about  twelve  or 
fourteen  years  old.  The  figures  were  seldom  made 
on  the  face,  but  chiefly  on  the  legs  and  arms.  The 
chiefs  were  more  beautifully  tattooed  than  the  com- 


tf 


40  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

mon  people,  because  they  hired  persons  who  could 
tattoo  the  best,  to  adorn  them. 

The  men  generally  had  long  hair  fastened  with  a 
comb  on  the  back  of  their  heads,  and  the  women  had 
short  hair,  wrhich  they  arranged  with  great  care,  and 
often  adorned  with  garlands  of  flowers.  The  women 
often  wore  shades  over  their  eyes  made  of  yellow 
cocoa-nut  leaves,  to  screen  them  from  the  sun,  but 
they  never  wore  bonnets. 

Both  men  and  women  thought  a  great  deal  of 
their  appearance,  and  spent  much  time  in  trying  to 
make  themselves  look  handsome ;  therefore  they 
were  extremely  fond  of  looking-glasses,  and  when 
they  could  not  get  them,  they  would  sit  on  the  bank 
of  a  clear  stream  to  dress  their  hair. 

They  bathed  three  times  a  day,  and  thus  kept 
themselves  very  clean,  and  improved  their  health. 
They  were  continually  going  into  the  sea ;  many  ba- 
bies could  swim  before  they  could  walk,  so  that  there 
was  no  danger  of  their  being  drowned  except  when 
they  were  at  a  great  distance  from  land.  They  always 
bathed  in  a  stream  after  they  had  been  in  the  sea,  as 
they  did  not  like  the  salt  water  as  well  as  fresh. 
IDOLS. 

You  already  know  that  the  Tahitians  worshipped 
idols.  Some  were  made  of  stone,  but  most  were 
made  of  wood,  or  of  a  kind  of  string  called  cinet, 
made  from  the  outside  of  cocoa-nuts.  Some  kinds 


IDOLS.  41 

of  sharks  and  of  birds  were  worshipped,  and  were 
not  suffered  to  be  killed.  Altogether  there  were 
more  than  a  hundred  gods  worshipped  in  Tahiti, 
The  people  thought  that  the  spirit  of  the  gods  dwelt 
in  the  idols.  As  they  fancied  that  they  were  as  cruel 
and  as  covetous  as  themselves,  they  tried  to  please 
them  by  giving  them  things. 

I  will  give  you  an  instance  of  the  manner  in  which 
they  treated  them.  They  kept  live  hogs  and  chick- 
ens in  the  maraes,  and  called  these  animals  sacred. 
Once  a  traveller  wanted  to  buy  some  sacred  fowls, 
as  there  were  no  others  to  be  had.  The  priest  of  the 
marae  at  first  did  not  like  to  sell  them,  but  when  he 
saw  what  nice  looking-glasses  and  knives  he  could 
get  for  them,  he  went  to  the  idol,  and  said,  "  0  my 
god,  here  are  some  beautiful  things — knives,  scissors, 
looking-glasses — perhaps  I  may  sell  some  of  the  fowls 
belonging  to  us  two  for  them ;  they  will  be  good 
property  for  us  two."  He  then  waited  a  few  mo- 
ments, while  he  pretended  he  was  listening  to  the  " 
god's  answer ;  then  he  said  that  the  god  had  con 
sented ;  and  some  boys  and  dogs  hunted  the  fowls, 
and  caught  them  for  the  traveller. 

They  never  thought  that  their  gods  would  be  angry 
at  sin,  but  fancied  they  could  always  be  coaxed  and 
made  to  like  those  people  who  gave  presents  to  them. 
"When  they  prayed  they  used  to  kneel  upon  one 
knee,  and  to  repeat  their  prayers  in  a  sort  of  singing 


42  THE  NIGHT    OF  TOIL. 

tone,  saying  something  of  this  kind  :  "  See,  I  have 
brought  you  pigs  and  fruit ;  so  be  kind  to  me,  and 
do  not  let  me  be  drowned ;  and  let  me  conquer  my 
enemies." 

How  different  is  our  God  from  their  gods  !  He 
cannot  bear  sin,  and* he  cares  for  nothing  we  can 
give  him.  He  never  could  have  listened  to  our 
prayers,  if  Jesus  had  not  borne  the  punishment  of 
our  sins ;  neither  will  he  listen  to  us  now,  unless  we 
come  before  him  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  asking  for 
mercy  for  his  sake.  Therefore  David  said,  "  I  will 
wash  my  hands  in  innocency,  and  so  will  I  compass 
thine  altar,  0  God."  And  John  says,  "  If  any  man 
sin,  we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  even  Je- 
sus Christ  the  righteous  :  and  he  is  the  propitiation," 
or  sacrifice,  "  for  our  sins." 

But  the  most  horrible  deed  done  in  these  temples 
was  the  offering  up  of  human  sacrifices.  The  people 
thought  that  Oro,  the  god  of  war,  liked  these  better 
than  any  other  ;  so,  when  they  were  going  to  do  any 
thing  important,  they  used  to  kill  men.  Perhaps  you 
will  inquire  what  men  they  killed.  When  the  priest 
wanted  a  human  sacrifice,  he  generally  sent  word  tc 
the  king ;  and  then  the  king  sent  a  small  stone  to 
one  of  his  chiefs,  as  a  sign  that  he  must  procure  one. 
If  the  chief  kept  the  stone,  the  king  knew  that  he 
would  do  as  he  wished.  And  whom  did  the  chief  fix 
on  as  a  sacrifice  ?  Sometimes  on  the  guest  who  was 


TERRORS    OF   THE   NATIVES.  43 

eating  beneath  his  roof.  In  one  moment  the  unfor- 
tunate man  was  killed  by  a  blow  on  the  head,  and 
carried  to  the  temple  in  a  basket  of  cocoa-nut  leaves. 
Before  he  was  offered  up  to  the  god,  the  priest  scooped 
out  one  of  his  eyes,  and  placing  the  eye  in  a  leaf, 
offered  it  to  the  king,  who  opened  his  mouth,  as  if  he 
were  going  to  eat  it,  and  then  returned  it  to  the  priest. 

The  body  was  afterwards  hung  upon  a  tree  near 
the  temple  ;  when  the  flesh  was  quite  consumed,  the 
bones  were  buried  in  the  sacred  court,  which  was  a 
sort  of  Golgotha,  a  place  of  a  skull,  and  most  horri- 
ble in  the  eyes  of  the  holy  God. 

If  one  man  of  a  family  had  been  offered  up,  the 
other  men  in  it  were  in  great  danger  of  sharing  his 
fate  ;  for  the  people  of  the  same  family  were  usually 
chosen  until  the  whole  was  destroyed. 

When  at  midnight  the  sacred  drum  was  beaten, 
as  a  sign  that  a  human  sacrifice  was  required,  many 
poor  creatures  would  escape  to  the  mountains,  and 
hide  themselves  in  the  dens  and  caves  of  the  earth. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  some  men  quite  forsook 
the  company  of  their  cruel  fellow-creatures,  wan- 
dered alone  among  the  mountains,  and  became  almost 
as  fierce  and  as  senseless  as  the  beasts  of  the  forest. 

Death  was  very  terrible  to  the  Tahitians,  for  they 
had  no  bright  hopes  beyond  the  grave.  They  thought 
that  at  death  their  spirits  went  to  their  cruel  gods, 
who  ate  them  three  times  over,  and  that  afterwards 


44  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

they  went  into  the  body  of  a  beast  or  bird  or  man, 
and  lived  upon  the  earth  again. 

Sometimes  poor  creatures,  when  they  have  been 
dying,  have  looked  towards  the  end  of  the  mat  on 
which  they  have  been  lying,  and  have  cried  out,  "  0 
there  are  the  spirits  waiting  for  my  spirit — 0  guard 
my  spirit  when  it  leaves  my  body — 0  preserve  it 
from  them." 

How  different  were  these  cries  from  those  of  some 
dying  Christian  children,  who  have  exclaimed  with 
sweet  smiles,  "  I  see  the  angels  coming  to  take  me ; 
0  Lord  Jesus,  I  come,  I  come." 

After  a  man  was  dead,  his  friends  used  to  begin  to 
cut  themselves  with  sharks'  teeth,  till  they  were  cov- 
ered with  blood,  and  sometimes  even  to  fight  together 
with  clubs  and  stones  for  two  or  three  days,  till  some 
were  killed.  It  was  dreadful  to  behold  one  of  these 
fights,  and  to  hear  the  furious  howlings  of  those  who 
fought. 

When  a  Christian  loses  his  pious  relations,  he  can 

sing, 

"  Why  do  we  mourn  departing  friends, 

Or  shake  at  death's  alarms  1 
'Tis  but  the  voice  that  Jesus  sends, 
To  call  them  to  his  arms." 

CHARACTER    OF    THE    TAHITIANS. 

You  have  already  heard  enough  of  the  people  k 
perceive  that  they  were  liars,  covetous,  thieves,  i  ad 
murderers. 


TREATMENT   OF    THE  SICK.  45 

They  were  indeed  pleasant  in  their  manners,  and 
good-natured  when  pleased ;  but  in  many  respects 
they  were  like  beasts,  and  in  others  like  devils. 

They  resembled  beasts  in  their  love  of  eating,  and 
drinking,  and  idleness ;  in  hardness  of  heart,  they 
resembled  devils.  Their  conduct  to  their  aged  par- 
ents, and  to  their  sick  friends,  was  barbarous.  When 
tired  of  waiting  upon  a  sick  person,  his  relations  gen- 
erally built  a  little  hut  for  him,  and  at  first  fed  him, 
but  often  left  him  afterwards  to  die  of  hunger.  At 
other  times,  the  relations  would  throw  their  spears  at 
the  sick  man,  to  see  which  would  thrust  him  through 
first. 

I  will  relate  an  instance  of  the  murder  of  one  sick 
man.  He  was  staying  with  an  acquaintance,  who, 
growing  tired  of  him,  went  one  day  and  dug  a  hole 
near  the  sea-shore,  then  returned,  and  offered  to  take 
him  to  bathe.  The  sick  man  consented,  and  was 
placed  upon  a  board,  and  carried  towards  the  sea 
between  two  men  ;  but  when  he  came  near  the  hole, 
he  suspected  what  was  going  to  be  done,  and  he 
jumped  off  the  board  and  tried  to  escape,  but  his 
companion  threw  a  stone  at  him,  and  thus  stopped 
him,  and  then  forced  him  into  the  hole,  and  buried 
him  alive.  His  cries  were  heard  at  some  distance  by 
gome  women  in  a  canoe,  yet  none  came  to  rescue 
him,  or  were  even  shocked  when  they  heard  the  his- 
tory. 


46  THE   NIGHT    OF  'TOIL. 

If  the  Tahitians  behaved  in  this  manner  to  their 
friends,  what  must  have  been  their  cruelty  to  their 
enemies?  It  was  more  dreadful  than  can  be  con- 
ceived. They  stamped  upon  the  prisoners  they  had 
taken  in  battle,  crying  out,  "  Thus  would  you  have 
trea&d  me  if  you  had  conquered,"  and  then  left  the 
bodies  unburied,  to  be  devoured  by  dogs  and  birds. 
Sometimes  a  hole  was  made  through  an  enemy's 
body,  and  he  was  worn  for  a  short  time  as  a  tiputa 
by  the  man  who  slew  him.  After  a  battle  the  con- 
querors destroyed  all  the  women  and  children  of 
their  enemies,  and  even  taught  their  own  little  chil- 
dren to  loll  the  little  creatures  that  they  would  have 
liked  to  play  with.  Sometimes  the  conqueror  put 
ropes  through  the  necks  of  his  enemies'  children,  or 
threaded  them  like  beads  on  his  ppear.  God  has  said 
in  his  word,  that  the  feet  of  men  are  swift  to  shed 
blood.  And  is  not  this  true  ? 

The  missionaries  came  to  melt  the  stony  hearts 
of  these  people,  by  telling  them  of  the  love  of  the 
Son  of  God.  These  lions  and  tigers  could  be  turned 
into  lambs  and  doves  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  So  the 
missionaries  did  not  cease  to  pray  for  them,  and  to 
teach  them  the  good  and  the  right  way,  hoping  that 
Sod  would  at  length  give  them  repentance  fox  tbeii 


WATCHING  AJSD   PRAYER.  47 

CHAPTER  V. 

SHEEP   AMONG   WOLVES. 

WE  will  now  continue  the  history  of  the  mission- 
aries, who  stood  gazing  upon  the  ship,  on  the  day  it 
left  Tahiti,  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  till  they  could  no 
longer  behold  it. 

They  felt  that  they  were  in  a  very  dangerous  situ- 
ation, among  wicked  men,  who  coveted  all  they  pos- 
sessed, and  whose  hands  were  often  stained  with 
blood  ;  but  they  were  able  to  look  up  to  God  for  sup- 
port. They  set  apart  a  day  for  fasting  and  prayer ; 
on  that  day  they  met  three  times  to  pray  together, 
and  twice  more  to  hear  sermons  from  two  of  the 
brethren.  They  agreed  also  to  hold  a  prayer-meet- 
ing once  a  month  for  the  conversion  of  the  heathen, 
at  the  very  same  time  that  their  friends-in  England, 
in  different  places  of  worship,  met  together  for  the 
same  purpose. 

But  though  they  placed  their  strength  in  God,  they 
thought  it  right  to  take  all  possible  pains  to  defend 
themselves.  All  night  long  two  of  the  brethren 
watched  outside  the  house,  and  very  often  one  wa? 
appointed  to  watch  during  the  day. 

The  day  after  the  ship's  departure,  the  missionary 
who  was  watching  the  house,  overheard  Idia  talking 


48  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

with  some  of  the  natives  about  the  quantity  of  prop- 
erty the  brethren  possessed.  Among  other  things, 
he  heard  it  said,  that  the  Sabbath-day  would  be  •  a 
good  opportunity  to  take  it  away,  as  on  that  day  the 
brethren  would  be  engaged  together  in  prayer.  Idia 
little  thought  that  the  man  on  guard  understood  her 
conversation.  Of  course  he  reported  it  to  his  friends, 
who  immediately  desired  all  the  natives  to  leave  the 
nouse.  Idia  was  alarmed  when  she  heard  of  this 
order,  and  inquired  the  reason.  When  she  was 
reminded  of  what  she  had  said,  she  denied  it,  and 
sent  Peter  the  Swede  to  declare  that  she  had  been 
misunderstood,  as  she  had  only  been  talking  of  a  plan 
made  by  some  bad  men  in  Tahiti.  This  excuse  was 
probably  false ;  but  the  missionaries  thought  it  best 
to  receive  it,  and  to  treat  Idia  with  as  much  respect 
as  usual.  However,  they  were  more  on  their  guard 
than  ever  on  the  next  day,  which  was  the  Sabbath, 
and  did  not  take  the  Lord's  supper  together  as  they 
had  intended. 

About  three  weeks  afterwards  they  were  robbed  in 
a  very  singular  manner.  One  morning  they  missed 
a  great  many  articles  from  the  blacksmith's  shop, 
and  they  also  observed  a  hole  in  the  ground  of  the 
shop.  They  soon  perceived  a  thief  had  entered 
through  this  hole,  which  resembled  a  rabbit's  bur- 
row, and  had  an  opening  outside.  They  saw  that 
fche  hole  must  have  taken  more  than  one  night  to  dig 


THE    HOSPITAL.  49 

with  the  hands,  the  spade  the  natives  usually  made 
use  of,  and  they  wondered  how  it  was  that  the  watch 
had  not  observed  the  thief  digging  in  the  day.  The 
watch  then  remembered  that  he  had  once  remarked 
the  hole,  and  had  seen  something,  that  he  had  taken, 
for  a  hog,  coiled  up  in  it ;  and  now  he  had  no  doubt 
that  the  supposed  hog  was  the  thief.  The  wicked 
cunning  of  the  robber  excited  the  astonishment  of  all. 
On  applying  to  a  chief  of  that  part  of  the  island,  the 
stolen  articles  were  restored. 

In  vain  the  missionaries  endeavored  to  win  the 
natives  by  kindness.  Because  they  never  punished 
the  thieves  when  detected,  they  were  considered  as 
cowards ;  though  their  reason  for  forgiving  them 
was,  that  they  remembered  that  they  were  ministers 
of  the  Gospel,  whose  office  it  was  to  save  and  not  to 
judge. 

Many  of  the  natives  were  suffering  from  terrible 
diseases ;  so  the  missionaries  prepared  a  place  near 
their  house  for  a  hospital,  and  offered  to  nurse  all 
who  would  come  ;  but  the  same  reasons  that  prevent 
men  coming  to  Jesus,  the  great  Physician,  prevented 
the  greater  part  of  the  sick  natives  from  accepting 
the  kind  proposal.  Some  of  them  were  afraid  to 
come  ;  and  others  refused  to  take  medicine  because 
it  wras  not  sweet,  or  to  remain  more  than  three  or 
four  days,  which  was  not  long  enough  to  effect  a  cure. 

Yet  a  hospital  seemed  very  necessary,  for  it  was 


50  THE   NIGHT   OF    TOIL. 

sad  to  see  how  foolishly  the  natives  treated  sick  peo- 
ple, as  you  will  perceive  from  this  little  anecdote. 

The  missionaries  employed  native  boys  as  their 
servants.  One  of  them,  while  gathering  some  bread- 
fruit,  fell  from  the  tree,  and  broke  his  arm.  Mr. 
Clode  set  it ;  but  five  days  afterwards,  the  boy, 
through  his  own  carelessness,  broke  it  again.  Mr. 
Clode  tried  to  set  it  again,  but  could  not  prevent  the 
boy  feeling  much  agony.  The  father  of  the  child 
then  insisted  on  taking  him  home,  saying,  "  I  shall 
send  for  a  native  doctor,  and  pray  to  our  god,  and  the 
boy  will  soon  be  well." 

The  next  day  Mr.  Puckey  and  Mr.  Smith  went  to 
tee  the  child,  and  were  told  that  he  had  died  the 
mght  before.  They  found  that  the  father  had  put 
his  child  in  cold  running  water,  while  burning  with 
fever,  and  that  he  had  immediately  expired.  The 
father  lamented  with  tears  that  he  had  taken  him 
home.  By  the  side  of  the  child  lay  a  piece  of  cloth 
steeped  in  the  father's  blood,  which  had  been  made 
to  flow  in  torrents  by  a  shark's  tooth,  and  the  cloth 
now  was  spread  out  as  a  proof  of  the  father's  grief. 

The  missionaries  gazed  upon  the  lifeless  form  of 
the  child,  as  it  lay  decked  with  flowers,  while  the 
foolish  natives  crowded  around  them,  admiring  their 
clothes.  The  missionaries  took  this  opportunity  to 
remind  them  that  death  would  one  day  overtake 
them,  and  to  warn  them  that  their  souls  must  then 


THE    CHILD'S    FUNERAL.  51 

appear  before  the  only  true  God,  who  had  prepared 
a  place  of  happiness  for  the  righteous,  and  of  misery 
for  the  wicked. 

While  they  were  speaking,  the  natives  ceased  to 
laugh,  and  appeared  for  a  moment  struck  by  whal 
had  been  uttered. 

Mr.  Puckey  made  a  coffin  for  the  child,  and  laid 
him  hi  it  the  next  day.  Four  little  boys  carried  it  to 
the  grave,  and  several  of  the  missionaries  followed  it 
Crowds  of  natives  attended,  who  were  filled  with 
wonder  at  the  coffin,  having  never  seen  one  before, 
and  exclaimed,  "  It  would  make  a  fine  chest  to  put 
clothes  in." 

The  father,  according  to  the  custom,  made  a  long 
speech  over  the  child's  grave,  describing  how  useful 
his  son  would  have  been  had  he  lived,  though  it  is 
to  be  feared  he  might  more  truly  have  said,  how 
wicked. 

The  relations  would  have  cut  themselves  again  on 
the  head,  with  sharks'  teeth,  but  they  were  prevailed 
upon  by  the  missionaries  to  refrain. 

At  length  the  missionaries  determined  to  try  no 
longer  to  defend  themselves  from  the  natives ;  for 
though  they  were  so  few  in  number  that  they  could 
easily  be  overcome,  they  felt  that  God  could  preserve 
them  from  every  danger.  As  they  resolved  to  be 
satisfied  with  food  and  raiment,  they  delivered  up  the 
blacksmith's  shop  and  the  store-room,  with  all  they 


52  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

contained,  to  Pomare,  and  even  offered  to  give  him 
their  own  private  property,  but  he  generously  refused 
to  accept  it.  It  was  now  Pomare's  interest  to  pre- 
vent the  natives  robbing  the  house,  and  his  servants 
were  appointed  to  guard  it  by  night.  In  what  man- 
ner they  guarded  it  you  will  soon  hear.  The  mis- 
sionaries hoped  that,  having  now  given  up  all  their 
worldly  cares,  they  should 'be  able  to  serve  the  Loid 
more  earnestly,  and  to  watch  more  diligently  for  the 
souls  of  the  poor  heathen. 

Both  Pomare  and  Idia  were  delighted  in  being 
permitted  to  take  what  they  pleased  from  the  breth- 
ren. Both  night  and  day  they  walked  from  room  to 
room,  looking  on  every  thing  with  a  covetous  eye, 
and  carrying  away  a  great  quantity. 

The  natives,  like  greedy  birds,  hovered  about  the 
outside  of  the  house,  and  invented  cunning  plans  of 
stealing.  One  of  these  was  to  hook  away  things 
with  a  very  long  stick,  which  they  thrust  between 
the  posts  that  formed  the  walls  of  part  of  the  house  ; 
so  that  the  missionaries  placed  any  thing  that  they 
were  very  much  afraid  of  losing,  under  the  care  of 
some  chief. 

One  night  Mr.  Harris  was  awakened  by  the  noise 
of  thieves  ransacking  a  box  in  his  room ;  the  men 
ran  off  the  instant  he  saw  them,  taking  with  them 
many  books  and  clothes. 

Another  night  Mr.  Eyre  woke,  and  saw,  by  the 


CONDUCT    OF   IDIA.  53 

light  he  always  kept  burning  in  his  room,  two  of  the 
natives  who  were  appointed  to  be  watchmen  by  Po- 
mare,  getting  over  a  partition  placed  before  his  door 
He  asked  them  what  they  wanted,  when  one  of  them 
cunningly  replied,  "  I  thought  I  heard  some  thieves 
within,  and  was  coming  to  look  for  them." 

One  day  Mr.  Broomhall  missed  two  cases  out  of 
his  room,  one  containing  all  things  necessary  for  cup 
ping,  and  the  other  for  cutting  off  limbs.  He  was 
surprised  by  Idia  bringing  back  the  cases  next  morn- 
ing, with  nothing  missing  but  two  little  saws.  In  a 
little  time  afterwards  she  restored  these  also.  The 
missionaries  wondered  how  she  had  got  possession  of 
the  things ;  at  the  same  time,  they  thought  it  w^as 
honest  in  her  to  give  them  back.  A  few  months 
afterwards  they  discovered  that  she  encouraged  her 
servants  to  steal  things  for  her,  for  they  found  she 
had  an  axe  in  her  possession  that  had  been  missed 
.  two  months  before. 

She  visited  the  missionaries  very  often,  and  chose 
Mrs.  Eyre  for  her  particular  friend,  and  often  drank 
tea  with  her,  and  paid  her  much  attention,  and 
promised  that  no  one  should  hurt  her.  Yet  she  not 
only  continued  to  steal,  but  this  summer  she  killed 
her  own  infant  as  soon  as  it  was  born.  She  looked 
ashamed  when  she  next  came  to  see  the  missionaries, 
knowing  that  they  abhorred  her  conduct.  She  soon, 
however,  recovered  her  confidence,  and  presented 


54  THE   NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eyre  with  two  hogs  and  a  quantity  of 
fruit.  They  received  her  well,  and  accepted  the 
present ;  for  all  the  brethren  had  agreed  that  it  was 
useless  to  be  angry  with  the  heathen  for  their  crimes. 
St.  Paul  says,  "  What  have  I  to  do  to  judge  them 
that  are  without!"  that  is,  the  heathen.  "Them 
that  are  without,  God  judgeth."  1  Cor.  5  :  12,  13. 

Otu  was  now  their  frequent  visitor,  as  well  as 
Tetua,  the  young  queen.  They  used  often  to  call  to 
see  the  brethren,  and  were  always  mounted  upon 
men's  shoulders.  The  missionaries  were  surprised 
at  the  ease  and  grace  with  which  they  sat  upon  their 
bearers,  and  also  at  the  strength  of  the  men,  who 
generally  carried  the  royal  pair  at  a  trotting  pace. 
Otu's  habits  of  begging  were  the  same  as  ever,  and 
these  annoyed  the  missionaries  very  much,  as  they 
had  now  little  remaining  that  they  could  well  spare. 

The  natives  continued  to  be  very  troublesome, 
particularly  at  the  time  when  the  brethren  dined 
together.  Multitudes  flocked  to  see  them  eat,  and 
would  almost  snatch  the  meat  out  of  their  mouths. 
All  the  missionaries'  servants  also  chose  to  dine  with 
them,  .and  consumed  more  food  than  their  masters. 
If  you  inquire  why  the  brethren  kept  so  many  ser- 
vants, you  must  know  that  the  servants  chose  to 
come  without  leave.  They  insisted  on  helping  the 
brethren  to  cook  the  dinner,  and  then  remained  to 
dine  without  being  invited,  and  generally  found  many 


MANE-MANE    KILLED.  55 

private  opportunities  of  stealing.  At  length  the 
missionaries  came  to  a  determination  no  longer  to 
have  one  dinner,  but  to  dine  two  or  three  together 
in  their  own  rooms,  and  to  cook  their  food  privately, 
with  the  assistance  of  one  boy  to  each  mess,  if  they 
possibly  could  keep  away  the  rest  of  the  people. 

During  this  year  there  was  a  quarrel  between 
Pomare  and  Otu  ;  and  Mane-mane  having  stirred  up 
a  rebellion,  Pomare  ordered  him  to  be  killed.  Idia 
arranged  the  plan  of  the  murder.  On  the  morning 
of  the  day  appointed,  she  and  one  of  her  men-ser- 
vants breakfasted  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eyre,  and  they 
both  appeared  as  cheerful  as  usual.  They  quitted 
the  house  after  breakfast.  It  was  then  that  the 
treacherous  plan  was  executed.  The  man-servant 
followed  old  Mane-mane  down  a  hill,  as  he  was  on 
his  way  to  Pare,  overtook  him,  and  after  talking  with 
him  a  short  time,  smote  him  on  the  head  with  a 
stone.  Thus  perished  the  wicked  old  priest,  who  had 
long  deceived  the  people  with  the  idea  that  he  had 
power  to  curse  and  bless  whom  he  would,  but  who 
could  not  shield  his  own  hoary  head  from  the  curse 
of  the  living  God. 


56  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

CHAPTER  VI, 

CONTINUED   UNBELIEF   OF   THE   NATIVES. 

THE  more  the  missionaries  saw  of  Otu,  the  more 
wickedness  they  discovered  in  him.  He  felt  no  grat- 
itude for  all  the  favors  they  had  shown  him.  I  will 
give  you  some  instances  of  his  ingratitude  in  several 
trifling  circumstances. 

.During  the  late  war  he  sent  his  servants  to  carry 
off  a  sow  and  five  young  pigs  belonging  to  Mr.  Bick 
nell,  who  made  no  resistance  to  the  demand.  The 
missionaries  complained  of  this  conduct  to  Idia,  and 
were  pleased  to  see  the  pigs  running  near  their  house 
next  day,  though  Idia  had  said  nothing  to  them  on 
the  subject. 

One  day  the  king  came  to  Mr.  Broomhall's  apart- 
ment, and  asked  to  see  a  large  Bible  with  pictures 
that  he  had  heard  of.  While  he  was  looking  at  it, 
he  asked  Mr.  Broomhall  to  show  him  another  book  ; 
and  while  it  was  being  brought,  he  slyly  cut  out  of 
the  Bible  a  picture  of  Adam  and  Eve  in  paradise, 
and  then  returned  the  Bible,  without  mentioning 
what  he  had  done. 

Notwithstanding  this  conduct,  the  missionaries 
continued  to  behave  generously  to  Otu. 

On  Friday,  1st,  a  ship  touched  at  Tahiti.  "While 
the  ship  was  at  anchor,  Otu  came  one  day  to  Mr. 


CHARACTER    OF    THE    KING.  57 

Broomhall,  and  slipping  three  pearls  into  his  hand, 
desired  him  to  keep  them  for  himself,  and  to  procure 
a  pistol  for  him  from  the  ship.  When  the  brethren 
heard  of  this  circumstance,  they  wrote  to  the  captain 
to  ask,  as  a  favor,  to  purchase  a  gun  for  Otu,  as  they 
feared  he  would  be  offended  if  he  did  not  obtain  one. 
At  the  same  time  they  resolved,  if  they  succeeded 
in  procuring  the  gun,  to  return  the  pearls  to  Otu,  to 
show  him  that  they  did  not  act  from  motives  of 
interest. 

The,  captain  very  kindly  presented  the  gun  to  the 
brethren,  who  gave  it  to  Otu,  and  returned  the  pearls 
to  him.  They  were  pleased  to  see  Otu  present  it  to 
his  mother  Idia,  and  to  hear  him  speak  more  gra- 
ciously to  her  than  usual ;  but  they  observed  no  dif- 
ference in  his  general  conduct  afterwards. 

It  was  awful  to  see  how  completely  Otu,  though  a 
king,  was  the  slave  of  his  own  violent  passions. 

One  day  when  he  had  drunk  a  great  -deal  of  ava, 
an  intoxicating  drink  used  by  the  natives,  and  was 
asleep  in  his  dwelling,  he  heard  a  man  hallooing 
outside*.  He  immediately  desired  his  servants  to  kill 
him.  To  what  a  pitch  of  wickedness  will  men  get, 
who  have  nothing  to  restrain  their  passions.  How 
many  feel  such  anger  as  Otu  did,  who  dare  not  give 
the  same  barbarous  order.  The  young  man  who  had 
hallooed,  ran  to  Mr.  Broomhall  for  protection.  Otu, 
hearing  where  the  man  had  taken  refuge,  thought  it 


58  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

would  be  a  good  opportunity  to  get  some  tiling  out  of 
Mr.  Broomhall,  and  sent  a  message  requesting  to 
have  three  yards  of  printed  cloth,  instead  of  the  two 
yards  of  white  cloth  that  had  been  promised  him  the 
clay  before.  While  Mr.  Broomhall  was  getting  them, 
Otu  himself  appeared  before  the  door  and  demanded 
the  gift.  Mr..  Broomhall  gave  him  the  cloth,  and 
entreated  him  to  spare  the  young  man's  life;  Otu 
consented,  but  in  a  very  sullen  manner. 

This  unamiable  tyrant  was  always  surrounded  by 
a  train  of  flatterers,  who  slyly  praised  him  to  each 
other,  loud  enough  for  him  to  hear.  The  titles  be- 
stowed on  the  king,  and  on  all  he  had,  were  most 
absurd.  His  house  was  called  the  clouds  of  heaven, 
his  large  canoe  the  rainboiv,  his  manner  of  riding 
was  called  flying,  the  torch  that  was  carried  before 
him  lightning,  and  a  drum  that  was  often  beat  for 
his  amusement,  thunder.  Thus,  while  in  his  con- 
duct he  resembled  a  beast  and  a  devil,  he  fancied 
himself  a  god. 

The  missionaries  were  in  much  heaviness  on  ac- 
count of  the  continued  unbelief  of  the  people.  When 
they  spoke  to  them  of  the  Lord  Jesus  coining  down 
from  heaven,  the  natives  sometimes  replied,  "If  this 
were  true,  would  not  Captain  Cook,  and  others  who 
came  here  before  the  Duff,  have  told  us  of  it  ?"  The 
missionaries  tried  to  show  them  that  though  those 
raptains  had  known  the  name  of  Christ,  yet  they  had 


A  CHAPEL  COMMENCED.  59 

not  obeyed  his  commands.  It  was  dreadful  to  hear 
the  blasphemous  words  that  the  people  sometimes 
uttered  against  the  Saviour,  and  how  they  jested  about 
holy  things ;  so  that  sometimes  the  missionaries  felt 
inclined  to  speak  of  Christ  no  more  in  the  presence 
of  the  heathen ;  yet  they  could  not  be  silent,  for  they 
knew  that  God  was  able  to  turn  the  hearts  of  these 
ignorant  people,  and  teach  their  lips  to  praise  him. 

Nothing  offended  the  natives  more  than  to  speak 
against  their  wicked  customs.  Even  Idia,  who  was 
so  much  at  the  brethren's  house,  murdered  another 
infant  this  summer.  This  was  the  third  she  had  de- 
stroyed since  the  arrival  of  the  missionaries.  The 
missionaries  hoped  that  when  they  were  able  to  speak 
the  language  well,  the  people  would  be  more  ready 
to  listen  to  them ;  but  they  found  it  very  difficult  to 
learn  it,  because  they  had  no  books  to  help  them,  and 
the  people  spoke  so  quickly  they  could  scarcely  catch 
their  words.  Yet  they  persevered,  and  already  began 
to  attempt  to  translate  a  few  verses  in  different  parts 
of  the  Bible,  and  they  showed  these  translations  to 
each  other,  at  their  weekly  meetings. 

In  February,  1800,  the  brethren  first  determined 
to  build  a  chapel,  where  the  natives  might  be  invited 
to  assemble  to  hear  them  preach,  which  they  hoped 
Boon  to  be  able  to  do.  Hitherto  they  had  only  met 
together  in  a  room  in  their  own  house, 

It  was  on  March  5,  that  the  first  wooden  posts  or 


60  THE  NIGHT   OF  TOIL. 

pillars  of  the  chapel  were  reared  to  form  the  walls. 
The  time  was  remarkable,  because  it  was  three  years, 
all  but  one  day,  since  the  missionaries'  first  arrival 
in  Tahiti.  The  brethren  were  grieved  to  hear  the 
natives  who  were  assisting  them,  jeering  at  Christ  as 
they  worked,  and  to  see  them  scoffingly  marking  each 
pillar  in  their  manner,  with  his  name.  They  ear- 
nestly hoped  that  those  pillars  would  hereafter  be  wit- 
nesses to  the  conversion  of  these  miserable  heathen. 
Pomare  soon  afterwards  gave  a  great  proof  of  his 
ignorance  by  sending  the  brethren  a  raw  fish,  with 
a  request  that  it  might  be  hung  up  in  the  chapel,  as 
an  offering  to  Jesus  Christ.  One  of  the  brethren  went 
to  him  to  return  the  fish,  and  to  tell  him,  that  it  was 
not  the  custom  of  their  God  to  receive  sacrifices  of 
food  from  any  one ;  but  that  he  gave  food  to  all,  and 
that  all  should  thank  him  for  his  gifts.  Pomare  seem- 
ed displeased  with  this  answer,  but  tried  to  appear 
indifferent,  and  said,  "Very  well." 


TEOHU  VISITS  MATAVAI.  61 

CHAPTER  VII, 

A   PLEASANT   SURPRISE. 

THE  island  continued  in  a  state  of  disquietude, 
There  was  no  open  war,  but  it  seemed  every  day 
ready  to  break  out.  Pomare  was  exceedingly  en- 
raged against  the  people  of  Atehuru,  because  they 
had  stolen  the  image  of  Oro,  the  god  of  war,  from 
the  temple  at  Pare,  and  had  hid  it  in  their  own  part 
of  the  country.  They  had  done  this,  in  the  hope  of 
conquering  by  Oro's  power,  when  the  war  should  be- 
gin ;  for  they  fully  believed  that  the  god  Oro  some- 
times entered  into  this  log  of  wood.  Pomare  did  not 
immediately  show  his  anger,  for  he  hoped  that  the 
idol  would  be  given  back  to  him  soon.  He  even 
thought  it  necessary  to  behave  with  great  respect  to 
some  whom  he  knew  to  be  his  enemies.  For  in- 
stance, when  Teohu,  a  rebellious  chief,  who  took  part 
with  the  Atehurans,  visited  Matavai  in  April,  he  was 
received  with  great  honor  by  Pomare.  Teohu  ar- 
rived with  his  train  of  servants  in  a  number  of  canoes, 
accompanied  by  two  human  sacrifices  for  Otu.  As 
the  king  was  absent,  a  man  adorned  with  a  bunch  of 
red  feathers  represented  him,  and  was  treated  with 
the  same  respect  as  the  king,  every  one  uncovering 
his  shoulders  in  his  presence.  Pomare  caused  a  shed 
to  be  built  for  Teohu,  while  he  staid  at  Matavai,  and 


62  .         THE   NFGHT    OF    TOIL. 

he  made  him  presents  of  cloth,  and  even  gave  him  a 
musket.  Teohu  also  made  presents  to  Pomare.  Yet, 
though  their  words  were  smoother  than  butter,  war 
was  in  their  hearts.  Pomare,  however,  did  not  wish 
to  begin  the  war  till  a  boat  should  return,  that  he  had 
sent  to  some  neighboring  islands  to  fetch  pearls,  and 
also  human  sacrifices. 

In  the  end  of  June,  the  war  was  on  the  point  of 
beginning,  when  an  event  of  God's  providence  pre- 
vented it.  It  was  the  arrival  of  a  ship.  This  ship 
was  not  a  vessel  used  for  trading,  or  catching  whales, 
as  all  other  vessels  had  been,  that  had  arrived  since 
the  Duff.  It  was  a  man-of-war — a  ship  that  sailed 
about  the  seas  to  attack  the  enemies  of  the  king  of 
England. 

This  ship  was  called  the  Porpoise.  It  had  been 
sent  for  the  purpose  of  buying  hogs,  to  make  into 
salt  pork,  for  the  inhabitants  of  Port  Jackson. 

The  captain  brought  letters  from  the  governor  of 
Port  Jackson  for  the  brethren,  and  for  Pomare,  as 
well  as  presents,  among  which  was  a  handsome  scarlet 
dress  for  Pomare.  Though  Pomare  was  delighted  to 
receive  presents,  he  was  afraid  lest  Otu  should  be 
affronted,  if  he  also  did  not  receive  presents  from  the 
governor,  and  therefore  he  asked  the  captain  to  give 
the  dress  to  Otu.  The  captain  consented,  but  desired 
his  men  to  make  another  dress  for  Pomare. 

The  Porpoise  brought  very  delightful  news  to  the 


ARRIVAL  OF  MISSIONARIES.  63 

brethren  It  was,  that  a  ship  would  shortly  arrive, 
containing  some  missionaries,  who  would  remain  at 
Tahiti. 

While  the  Porpoise  was  still  at  anchor,  the  wel- 
come ship  appeared.  It  was  called  "  The  Royal 
Admiral,"  and  contained  eight  missionaries.  Captain 
Wilson's  nephew,  William,  was  the  commander  of 
the  ship,  and  was  therefore  called  Captain  Wilson. 

The  next  day,  some  of  the  newly-arrived  brethren 
dined  and  drank  tea  with  the  brethren  on  shore,  and 
returned  to  the  ship  at  night.  Perhaps  none  of  these 
brethren  had  ever  seen  each  other  before  ;  yet  how 
joyful  their  first  meeting  must  have  been  !  Those 
newly  arrived,  found  kind  friends  ready  to  assist 
them  in  learning  the  language,  and  to  prepare  them 
for  the  trials  they  must  endure ;  while  those  who  had 
been  long  settled  in  Tahiti,  must  have  felt  greater 
joy  than  can  be  described,  at  the  sight  of  fellow-la- 
borers, and  in  hearing  of  their  beloved  friends  in 
England.  Three  days  after  the  arrival  of  the  new 
missionaries,  a  public  meeting  was  held  in  the  open 
air,  near  the  brethren's  houses.  All  the  brethren 
were  there,  and  explained  to  Pomare,  Idia,  and  Otu, 
the  reason  of  more  missionaries  coming  to  the  island , 
they  then  asked  Pomare  whether  he  had  any  objec- 
tion to  their  remaining  in  Tahiti.  Pomare  answered, 
"No,  I  am  pleased  at  their  coming  ;  more  may  come 
if  they  will,  and  stay  till  they  are  tired." 


64  THE   NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

Pomare  then  asked  all  the  brethren  whether  they 
would  help  him  in  his  wars.  They  replied,  that  they 
were  men  of  peace,  and  had  nothing  to  do  with  war. 

Captain  "Wilson  next  reminded  Pomare  of  his  hav- 
ing given  the  district  of  Matavai  to  the  brethren,  and 
asked  him  whether  it  was  still  theirs.  He  said  that 
it  was,  and  inquired  whether  the  brethren  wished 
the  natives  to  be  sent  out  of  it.  They  replied,  "No, 
we  do  not  want  to  have  the  land,  but  only  to  be  al- 
lowed to  dwell  on  it." 

I  wish  I  could  inform  you  of  the  chief  things  that 
happened  immediately  after  the  arrival  of  the  eight 
missionaries,  but  the  accounts  that  were  written  by 
the  brethren  were  lost  at  sea.  I  know,  however, 
that  the  chapel  was  soon  finished,  and  I  believe 
that  some  of  the  brethren  began  to  preach  in  it  to 
the  natives. 

Though  war  had  not  yet  begun,  it  seemed  more 
likely  than  ever  that  it  would  break  out.  A  great 
meeting  was  soon  to  be  held  in  Atehuru,  and  then  it 
was  expected  that  either  peace  would  be  made  or 
war  declared.  The  people  of  Atehuru  had  still  got 
possession  of  the  god  Oro,  whom  they  had  stolen, 
and  Pomare  was  much  afraid  of  them. 

Such  was  the  state  of  things  at  the  end  of  Febru- 
ary, when  the  brethren  agreed  that  Mr.  Nott  should 
go  round  Tahiti,  to  preach  to  all  the  inhabitants  the 
Gospel  of  peace.  Mr.  Elder,  who  had  recently  ar 


FIRST    PREACHING    TOUR.  65 

rived,  was  appointed  to  accompany  Mr.  Nott.  Of 
course,  he  knew  very  little  of  the  language,  and 
therefore  could  not  preach. 

This  preaching  tour  was  an  arduous  undertaking. 
Wherever  the  brethren  saw  a  few  dwellings  they 
stopped,  and  went  from  house  to  house,  entreating 
the  people  to  come  at  an  appointed  time  to  a  par- 
ticular spot.  It  was  often  difficult  to  persuade  them 
to  engage  to  come,  and,  after  all,  the  people  often 
broke  their  promise,  and  did  not  come.  Sometimes 
Mr.  Nott  preached  three  or  four  times  in  the  day, 
and  often  he  had  above  a  hundred  people  to  hear 
him.  Sometimes  they  encouraged  him  by  the  at- 
tention they  paid,  for  they  were  astonished  by  the 
new  things  he  told  them.  They  often  answered  the 
questions  he  asked  in  his  sermon.  "When  he  said, 
"  What  is  the  true  atonement  for  sin  ?"  a  man  once 
replied,  "Hogs  and  pearls."  Another  time  when  he 
said  that  the  people  had  no  desire  to  know  the  true 
God,  one  man  interrupted  him,  by  replying,  "  Do  not 
say  we  have  no  desire.  But  perhaps  we  shall  not 
understand  about  God,  through  the  badness  of  our 
hearts."  One  chief  said  that  he  felt  a  desire  to  pray 
to  the  true  God,  and  asked  whether  his  old  gods 
would  not  kill  him  if  he  did. 

The  journey  round  the  island  was  one  hundred 
miles.  The  brethren  went  only  a  few  miles  each 
day,  and  lodged  in  the  houses  of  the  natives,  who 

Night  of  Toil.  & 


66  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

freely  received  them,  for  the  brethren  had  nothing  to 
give  them.  The  people  almost  all  lived  by  the  sea- 
coast  ;  but  there  were  some  narrow  valleys  that  ran 
up  among  the  mountains,  and  Mr.  Nott  often  went 
up  these  beautiful  valleys  to  preach. 

He  took  with  him  on  his  journey  several  natives, 
who  had  the  advantage  of  hearing  him  preach  manjr 
times  during  their  five  weeks'  tour.  The  last  day  of 
their  journey,  Mr.  Nott  was  delighted  to  hear  them 
giving  a  clear  account  of  the  Gospel  to  some  stran- 
gers whom  they  met.  Just  before  he  reached  home, 
he  assembled  them  and  examined  them,  and  remind- 
ed them  what  a  great  advantage  they  had  enjoyed, 
in  hearing  the  truth  so  often,  while  others  had  only 
heard  it  once,  and  warned  them  not  to  neglect  such 
a  great  salvation.  One  boy  said,  in  reply,  "  If  the 
Duff  had  been  the  first  ship  that  had  come  to  the 
island,  we  should  have  thrown  away  the  feather 
gods  long  ago." 

During  the  last  part  of  the  journey,  Mr.  Nott  passed 
thrc 'igh  the  district  of  Atehuru  just  at  the  time 
when  Joe  great  meeting  took  place,  at  which  it  was 
expected  either  war  would  be  declared  or  peace 
established. 

Pomare  and  Otu  desired  that  Oro  should  be  given 
up ;  but  as  the  Atehurans  refused  to  consent,  Otu 
rose  up  in  anger,  seized  hold  of  Oro,  ran  with  him 
towards  the  sea,  and  placed  him  in  one  of  the  canoes. 


EFFECTS    OF    THE    WAR.  G7 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  war,  which  lasted 
three  months.  Pomare  and  Otu  were  finally  victo- 
rious, though  they  did  not  recover  their  god.  The 
new  chapel  which  the  missionaries  had  built  was 
torn  down,  and  the  beautiful  groves  of  breadfruit 
and  cocoa-nut  trees  were  cut  down  to  make  a  fence 
around  their  house.  The  brethren  felt  exceeding 
gratitude  to  their  heavenly  Father  when  this  sad 
war  was  over ;  still,  when  they  looked  at  their  gar- 
dens now  trodden  down,  at  the  place  where  their 
groves  had  stood,  and  at  the  ruins  of  their  chapel, 
they  felt  that  they  had  endured  a  heavy  affliction. 
But  now  the  storm  had  blown  over ;  and  though  it 
had  injured  their  property,  it  had  not  hurt  one  hair 
of  their  heads. 


68  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

HOW  THE  NATIVES   BEHAVED  WHEN  THE  MISSIONARIES  PREACHED. 

As  the  war  appeared  to  be  over  for  the  present,  the 
missionaries  set  about  repairing  their  fences,  digging 
and  sowing  their  gardens,  and  building  another 
chapel. 

They  took  every  opportunity  of  preaching  the 
Gospel  to  the  natives.  On  Sundays  several  of  the 
brethren  used  to  go  about  the  neighborhood,  and  en- 
deavor to  collect  people  to  hear.  But  the  difficulties 
were  very  great.  They  found  them  either  busy  in 
beating  cloth,  or  preparing  food,  or  else  feasting,  or 
drinking  ava,  or  lying  down  stupefied  from  the  effects 
of  the  ava.  Also,  the  people  who  lived  at  Matavai 
were  more  indifferent  to  the  preaching  than  any 
others,  because  they  had  become  tired  of  hearing 
often  the  same  things. 

The  missionaries,  however,  continued  their  labors, 
knowing  that  God,  when  he  pleased,  could  pour  down 
his  Spirit  from  on  high. 

They  continually  made  journeys,  two  and  two, 
round  the  island,  and  were  generally  absent  about  a 
month.  Sometimes  they  even  crossed  the  sea,  and 
made  a  tour  round  Eimeo. 

They  suffered  many  hardships  in  these  journeys. 
Since  the  war  the  houses  of  the  inhabitants  were 


SUFFERINGS    OF   THE    PREACHERS.  69 

more  wretched  than  before ;  for  the  old  houses  had 
been  burnt,  and  miserable  sheds  had  been  built  in 
haste.  These  were  generally  in  a  most  dirty  state, 
and  full  of  insects  ;  so  that  the  poor  brethren  passed 
many  restless  nights  after  their  days  of  toil. 

They  had  no  umbrellas  to  defend  them  from  the 
rain,  and  in  the  houses  there  were  no  fires  at  which 
to  dry  their  clothes.  They  often  had  no  shoes  to 
their  feet,  and  they  were  sometimes  obliged  to  place 
leaves  on  the  burning  sands,  to  defend  them  from 
the  heat,  at  each  step  they  took.  On  some  occasions 
they  were  distressed  for  want  of  food  ;  for  the  people 
sometimes  refused  to  receive  them  into  their  houses. 
The  brethren  soon  found  it  necessary  to  make  fish- 
hooks and  combs,  and  to  take  them  with  them  on 
their  journey,  as  payment  for  their  food  and  lodging. 
They  could  truly  say,  like  the  apostles,  "  Even  unto 
this  present  hour  we  both  hunger  and  thirst,  and  are 
buffeted,  and  have  no  certain  dwelling-place,  and 
labor,  working  with  our  own  hands." 

The  natives  little  knew  what  great  sufferings  the 
brethren  endured  for  their  sakes :  they  foolishly 
thought  that  the  missionaries  had  come  to  live  at 
Tahiti  to  get  their  sweet  food,  for  they  had  heard 
that  no  such  fruit  as  theirs  grew  in  England.  They 
often  behaved  very  ill  while  the  missionaries  were 
preaching  to  them,  and  cried  out  "lies,"  and  "non- 
sense," during  the  sermon.  At  other  times  they 


70  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

tried  to  make  each  other  laugh,  by  repeating  sen- 
tences after  the  brethren,  or  by  speaking  the  name 
of  Christ  in  a  ridiculous  manner,  or  by  playing  antics 
and  making  faces.  Many  of  the  natives  used  to  lie 
down  and  sleep  as  soon  as  the  sermon  began,  while 
others  were  so  trifling  as  to  make  remarks  upon  the 
missionaries'  clothes,  or  upon  their  appearance.  Thus 
Satan  filled  their  hearts  with  folly,  lest  they  should 
believe  and  be  saved. 

Sometimes  the  natives  behaved  even  worse  than 
we  have  already  related  ;  for  they  were  enraged  with 
the  missionaries  on  account  of  the  number  of  diseases 
in  the  island,  and  declared  they  had  all  been  sent  by 
the  God  of  England.  They  said  that  he  must  be  a 
very  cruel  god,  and  that  Oro  was  too  good  to  send 
such  diseases.  There  was  one  disease  now  common 
in  the  island,  called  the  broken  back.  It  was  a 
weakness  in  the  backbone,  which  caused  it  to  bend 
outwards  or  inwards.  Often  the  person  died  before 
the  bone  was  bent ;  and  it  was  very  remarkable,  that 
when  the  bone  was  bent  much  the  person  began  to 
recover,  though  he  remained  a  cripple  all  his  life. 
Once  the  natives  brought  a  great  many  of  these  poor 
objects,  and  laid  them  before  the  missionaries  while 
they  were  preaching,  to  show  them  what  harm  their 
God  had  done.  Sometimes,  when  the  missionaries 
entreated  the  natives  to  come  and  hear  them,  they 
eaid  to  each  other  in  a  mocking  tone,  "  Come,  let  us 


THEIR    GROSS   DARKNESS.  71 

go,  that  we  may  be  cured  of  all  our  diseases  to-day.'* 
They  often  said  to  the  missionaries,  "  You  talk  to  us 
of  salvation,  and  we  are  dying.  We  want  no  other 
salvation  than  to  be  cured  of  our  diseases,  and  to 
live  here  always,  and  to  eat  and  talk." 

When  the  missionaries  told  them  that  their  bodies 
would  be  raised  after  death,  they  would  not  believe 
them ;  they  said  it  was  impossible,  for  that  dead 
bodies  turned  to  dust,  and  that  no  dead  person  had 
yet  been  raised.  In  vain  the  brethren  assured  them 
that  one  had  risen  from  the  dead  ;  they  laughed  the 
whole  history  to  scorn,  saying,  "  Has  Pomare  be- 
lieved, or  any  of  the  chiefs  ?" 

It  was  too  true  that  the  chiefs  were  the  greatest 
enemies  of  Christ,  and  discouraged  the  natives  from 
attending  to  the  Gospel.  Once  when  a  missionary 
was  preaching  about  Christ  having  atoned  fcr  our 
sins,  a  man  cried  out  to  the  rest,  as  if  he  liked  what 
he  had  heard,  "Do  you  hear  that?"  Immediately 
a  chief  who  was  present  threw  something  at  the 
man. 

Sometimes  persons  asked  questions  seriously  during 
the  sermons,  and  acknowledged  that  they  were  fools, 
and  knew  nothing  ;  but  these  hopeful  signs  were  of 
short  continuance-.  Once  a  man  said  to  the  breth- 
ren, "  You  offer  no  sacrifices  to  your  God,  but  say 
that  Jesus  was  sacrificed.  Is  it  because  Jesus  was 
sacrificed,  that  you  offer  nothing  ?"  The  missionaries 


72  THE   NIGHT    OF  TOIL. 

replied,  that  was  the  reason.  The  man  seemed 
pleased,  and  to  think  the  way  of  salvation  very 
easy.  Bat,  alas,  though  he  could  understand  it  a 
little,  he  could  not  believe  it.  The  missionaries  felt 
the  truth  of  God's  declaration,  "  Darkness  hath  cov- 
ered the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  people;"  hut 
they  were  comforted  with  the  promise,  "  My  sheep 
shall  hear  my  voice,  and  there  shall  be  one  fold,  and 
one  Shepherd." 

It  was  wonderful  to  see  what  trust  these  people 
placed  in  their  dumb  idols.  One  day  some  natives 
caught  seven  large  fish,  and  they  thought  that  they 
had  caught  so  many  because  there  were  some  red 
feathers  on  their  canoes.  They  often  said  the  Eng- 
lish were  very  unkind  not  to  send  them  more  red 
feathers,  that  they  might  please  their  gods.  They 
could  scarcely  be  made  to  understand  what  the  soul 
was  :  they  fancied  their  souls  lived  in  the  land  of 
darkness,  and  that  they  only  came  to  them  sometimes 
at  night  when  they  dreamed.  All  these  foolish  no- 
tions were  taught  to  the  people  by  their  priests, 
and  also  by  others  who  pretended  to  be  inspired  by 
the  gods.  Even. women,  who  were  so  much  de- 
spised in  Tahiti,  sometimes  professed  to  have  the 
spirit  of  the  gods  in  them.  I  will  give  you  an  in- 
stance of  the  manner  in  which  they  tried  to  impose 
on  the  people. 

On  one  occasion,  the  brethren  saw  a  girl  coming 


ANOTHER  SACRIFICE.  73 

towards  them  leading  a  woman,  whose  head  wa? 
muffled  up.  These  persons  pretended  to  have  the 
spirit  of  the  gods  in  them.  When  they  saw  the 
brethren  they  appeared  confused,  fell  upon  their 
knees,  and  mumbled  some  words.  Their  reason  for 
doing  so  was,  that  they  might  appear  to  put  the 
spirit  of  the  god  from  them.  They  then  rose,  and 
coming  towards  the  missionaries,  quietly  spoke  to 
them  by  their  names.  The  brethren  seeing  their 
hypocrisy,  rebuked  them  sharply,  and  entreated  the 
people  standing  by  not  to  be  deceived  by  such  tricks. 
The  people  laughed,  and  some  said  they  knew  the 
whole  was  a  pretence ;  but  others  still  believed  in 
it,  being  blinded  by  Satan. 

Thus  these  people,  who  were  so  unbelieving  to- 
wards God,  were  willing  to  be  deceived  by  the  most 
foolish  impostors.  It  is  often  found,  even  in  Chris- 
tian countries,  that  those  who  will  not  believe  the 
word  of  God,  will  place  their  trust  in  fortune-tellers, 
dreams,  and  signs  of  good  and  ill  luck.  It  is  easy 
to  discover  the  cause  of  this  difference — it  is  the 
love  of  sin :  God's  word  forbids  all  evil,  and  there- 
fore it  is  despised  and  rejected. 

Accustomed  as  the  missionaries  were  to  the  wicked 
ways  of  the  people,  they  were  filled  with  dismay  at 
the  deed  which  I  shall  now  relate. 

Mr.  Jefferson  and  Mr.  Scott,  while  travelling  in 
Tahiti,  came  to  the  house  of  a  chief  who  had  often 


74  THE    NIGHT    OF  TOIL. 

been  desired  to  find  a  sacrifice,  and  who  had  just  re- 
ceived a  message  from  Pomare,  threatening  him  with 
banishment  if  he  did  not  kill  a  man  immediately. 

The  chief  was  sitting  in  his '  house,  surrounded  by 
his  friends  and  attendants,  and  was  secretly  intending 
to  kill  one  of  them,  when  the  brethren  entered. 
Knowing  how  they  hated  such  deeds,  the  chief  durst 
not  do  it  in  their  presence.  Soon  the  brethren  lay 
down  to  rest.  The  chief  then  invited  his  compan- 
ions to  accompany  him  to  the  sea-shore.  The  man 
whom  the  chief  intended  to  kill,  was  one  of  his  rela 
tions,  who  had  come  to  visit  him.  This  man,  with 
several  others,  consented  to  go  to  the  beach.  When 
arrived  there,  the  chief  and  his  servants  killed  him 
with  stones,  and  put  his  body  in  a  long  basket  of 
cocoa-nut  leaves,  ready  to  be  sent  to  Pomare.  The 
chief  then  returned  to  the  house,  as  calm  and  uncon- 
cerned as  if  he  had  only  killed  a  hog.  The  two 
brethren  knew  nothing  of  the  dreadful  deed  till 
after  they  had  left  the  house.  Who  can  express  the 
horror  they  then  felt  ?  In  such  a  country  it  might 
well  be  said,  as  it  once  was  said  in  Israel,  "  Take  ye 
heed  every  one  of  his  neighbor,  and  trust  ye  not  in 
any  brother.  Their  tongue  is  as  an  arrow  shot  out ; 
it  speaketh  deceit :  one  speaketh  peaceably  to  his 
neighbor  with  his  mouth,  but  in  heart  he  layeth  his 
wait :  shall  I  not  visit  them  for  these  things  ?  saith 
the  Lord."  Jer.  9  :  4,  8,  9. 


DEATH    OF    OTEU.  75 

CHAPTER   IX. 

THE  DEATHS  OF  THREE  OF  THE  ROYAL  FAMILY. 

HAVE  you  forgotten  Oteu,  the  king's  grandfather  ? 
This  old  man  had  heen  introduced  five  years  hefore 
to  Captain  Wilson,  when  he  brought  the  first  mis- 
sionaries in  the  Duff!  The  missionaries  had  some- 
times tried  to  lead  the  old  man  to  think  of  his  soul 
and  of  the  true  God,  but  they  had  found  him  only 
inclined  to  speak  of  earthly  things.  He  often  inter- 
rupted them  by  saying,  "  When  will  another  ship 
come?  Have  you  any  ava?"  He  was  quite  dis- 
figured by  the  ava  he  had  drunk  :  his  long  silver 
beard,  and  mild,  handsome  countenance,  made  him 
look  very  venerable,  but  the  redness  of  his  eyes,  and 
the  white  scurf  upon  his  skin,  showed  that  he  was 
a  drunkard. 

About  four  months  after  the  war  in  Atehuru,  Oteu 
died  of  old  age.  The  people  thought  that  he  was  a 
favorite  of  the  gods,  because  he  had  lived  above 
eighty  years,  and  had  died  a  natural  death.  He  ex- 
pired in  a  house  very  near  the  brethren.  Owo,  his 
daughter,  asked  them  to  make  him  a  coffin.  The 
body  was  embalmed  and  placed  in  the  coffin,  in  a 
shed  at  Pare,  opposite  the  king's  house. 

The  next  year  Otu's  younger  brother,  Te-are,  ap- 
peared to  be  in  a  decline.  He  believed  that  his  god 


76  THE    NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

was  angry  with  him,  and  therefore  sent  a  human 
sacrifice  to  his  temple  to  quiet  his  wrath.  But  he 
continued  to  grow  worse,  and  was  tenderly  nursed 
by  his  mother  Idia. 

As  Te-are  was  living  at  Pare,  Mr.  Elder  went  to 
see  him  sometimes,  and  gave  him  wine  and  .medi- 
cines. He  paid  him  a  visit  the  day  before  he  died. 
He  found  him  burning  with  fever,  and  the  servants 
refreshing  him  by  throwing  cold  water  over  him ; 
yet  his  body  felt  quite  cold  to  the  touch.  Soon  after- 
wards the  prince  grew  faint,  and  as  he  thought  he 
was  dying,  he  took  leave  of  his  mother  Idia,  while 
the  attendants  stood  by  bathed  in  tears.  Pomare 
was  sent  for  immediately.  He  did  not  appear  at  all 
afflicted  at  the  state  of  his  son,  because  he  con- 
sidered that,  as  all  men  must  die,  it  was  useless  to 
grieve  about  death.  However,  he  offered  up  to  his 
gods,  in  the  room  where  Te-are  was  lying,  two  hogs, 
a  plant ain-tree,  and  some  red  feathers,  hoping  by 
this  means  to  make  his  son  better.  Mr.  Elder  spoke 
to  the  poor  youth  of  the  Saviour  of  the  soul,  "but  Idia 
seemed  to  dislike  his  doing  so,  as  she  thought  that 
all  the  prayers  to  the  idols  would  be  vain  if  Christ's 
name  were  mentioned.  Though  Te-are  knew  he 
was  dying,  he  appeared  quite  unconcerned  about 
eternity.  The  next  day  Mr.  Elder  took  some  wine 
to  the  young  prince.  Te-are  received  the  wine  ea- 
gerly, though  only  able  to  swallow  a  table-spoonful. 


POMARE'S    ILLNESS  77 

He  said  that  his  throat  was  decayed,  and  that  there- 
fore he  could  not  swallow.  Soon  afterwards  he 
ceased  to  breathe.  Thus  died  Te-are,  at  the  age  01 
eighteen,  in  June,  1803. 

The  missionaries  were  grieved  to  see  the  natives 
one  after  another  dropping  into  the  grave,  without 
having  believed  in  the  Saviour  who  had  been  preached 
to  them. 

Te-are's  body  was  embalmed,  and  placed  in  a  shed 
near  his  grandfather's  corpse.  It  was  the  custom,  at 
the  death  of  princes,  to  forbid  fires  to  be  lighted  in 
the  district  in  which  the  event  happened.  All  the 
people  of  Pare  were  obliged,  during  the  week  after 
Te-are's  death,  to  go  to  some  distance  to  cook  their 
food. 

Pomare,  who  had  seen  his  son  expire  with  so  much 
indifference,  knew  not  how  nearly  his  own  days  were 
numbered. 

He  had  had  a  severe  attack  in  the  autumn  before 
his  son's  death,  and  had  been  visited  by  Mr.  Elder 
and  Mr.  Eyre,  who  had  told  him  that  the  true  God 
was  angry -with  him  for  killing  men  for  sacrifice.  He 
had  heard  this  without  feeling,  but  when  they  had 
assured  him,  that  they  would  pray  for  his  recovery, 
when  they  prayed  together  at  home,  his  heart  had 
appeared  touched  by  their  kindness.  Pomare  soon 
recovered  from  this  illness. 

A  month  after  Te-are's  death,  an  event  occurred, 


78  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

which  filled  Pomare  with  delight.  The  rebellious 
Atehurans  had  formed  a  plot  to  murder  Pomare  and 
Idia.  For  this  purpose  they  killed  a  man,  as  a  sac- 
rifice, and  sent  for  Pomare  to  come  to  Atehuru,  to 
offer  it  to  the  gods.  They  hoped  that  he  would  come, 
accompanied  by  only  a  few  servants,  and  they  in- 
tended to  lie  in  wait,  and  murder  both  him  and  Idia. 
Otu  heard  of  this  plot,  and  informed  his  father  of  it, 
who  accordingly  went  to  Atehuru  by  water,  guarded 
by  a  large  fleet  of  canoes.  When  he  arrived  there, 
he  found  the  Atehurans  more  ready  than  before  to 
submit  to  his  authority,  and  they  even  delivered  up 
the  god  Oro,  that  log  of  wood  that  had  caused  so 
much  blood  to  flow. 

Thus  peace  was  established  in  the  island,  on  Au- 
gust 1st,  1803.  But  Pomare  did  not  live  to  enjoy 
the  submission  of  the  people,  or  the  possession  of  his 
god ;  for,  only  one  month  afterwards,  he  was  cut  off 
by  a  stroke  from  the  Almighty.  This  was  the  man- 
ner of  his  death. 

A  ship,  called  the  Dart,  was  at  anchor  near  Ta- 
hiti. One  morning,  Pomare  set  out  in  a  canoe  with 
two  men,  to  go  to  the  ship.  He  held  a  paddle  in 
his  hand,  and  had  almost  reached  the  vessel,  when 
he  suddenly  felt  a  pain  in  his  back  ;  he  cried  out,  and 
put  his  hand  to  the  place  where  he  felt  the  pain, 
dropped  the  paddle  from  the  other  hand,  and  fell  on 
his  fa'ce,  while  his  outstretched  arms  fell  over  the 


DEATH   OF    POMARE.  79 

sides  of  the  canoe.  His  two  attendants  immediately 
rowed  his  body  to  the  shore  of  Pare.  As  soon  as  the 
brethren  heard  of  the  event,  they  hastened  to  the 
spot ;  <  Mr.  Elder  felt  his  pulse,  and  thought  it  still 
faintly  beat.  He  did  not,  however,  dare  to  bleed 
Pornare,  as  the  natives  would  have  accused  him  of 
intending  to  do  harm  to  their  chief.  The  dead  body 
was  soon  afterwards  embalmed,  and  placed  near  the 
corpses  of  Pomare's  father,  and  youngest  son.  They 
were  all  within  sight  of  the  king's  house ;  so  that 
Otu,  as  he  sat  within  his  palace,  could  behold  the 
bodies  of  his  brother,  father,  and  grandfather. 

The  natives  did  not  appear  either  shocked  or 
grieved  by  Pomare's  sudden  death ;  for  their  hearts 
were  so  much  hardened  by  continual  cruelties,  that 
they  seldom  felt  pity,  or  grief  for  others. 

Otu,  who  was  now  at  Atehuru,  did  not  come  to 
see  his  father's  dead  body,  but  desired  that  it  might 
be  sent  to  him.  Idia,  however,  asked  two  of  the 
brethren  to  entreat  the  king  to  allow  it  to  remain  at 
Pare.  They  went  accordingly  to  the  king,  and  ob- 
tained their  request,  but  found  Otu  quite  unconcerned 
about  his  father's  death  ;  yet  he  was  so  much  terri- 
fied at  night,  by  fears  lest  his  father's  spirit  should 
appear  to  him,  that  he  caused  one  of  his  servants  to 
sleep  near  him. 

Otu  had  now  more  power  than  during  his  father's 
lifetime.  The  missionaries  were  afraid  lest  the  peo- 


80  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

pie  should  rise  up  against  him,  for  he  was  more  op- 
pressive, and  was  more  hated,  than  his  father  had 
been.  However,  through  the  mercy  of  God,  the  peo- 
ple made  no  resistance  to  Otu. 

From  this  time,  Otu  took  the  name  of  his  father, 
and  styled  himself  his  majesty  Pomare.  The  mean- 
ing of  the  word  Pomare,  is  night-cough.  The  name 
was  chosen  by  Pomare  in  a  curious  manner.  Once 
when  making  a  journey,  he  slept  on  a  bleak  part  of 
the  mountains,  and  caught  cold.  His  attendants, 
observing  his  cough  next  day,  called  that  night  the 
Pomare.  The  chief  liked  the  sound  of  the  word  so 
much,  that  he  chose  it  for  his  name. 

Henceforth  we  shall  speak  of  Otu  by  the  name  of 
Pomare. 


KING'S   DEPARTURE    TO    EIMEO.  gj 

CHAPTER  X, 

THE   FIRST   TAHITIAN   WHO   LEARNED   TO   WRITE. 

THOUGH  Pomare  II.  was  much  less  pleasing  than 
his  father,  yet  he  was  not  so  much  set  against  the 
message  the  missionaries  brought.  For  some  time 
past  he  had  been  a  great  deal  with  the  brethren, 
and  had  occasionally  listened  to  their  sermons.  One 
Sabbath  he  sent  to  desire  Idia  to  attend  the  preach- 
ing out  of  doors ;  but  when  she  came,  she  stood  far 
enough  off  not  to  hear,  for  she  was  a  great  enemy  to 
the  Gospel.  Although  Pomare  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  time  in  eating,  drinking,  and  romping  with  his 
attendants,  yet  ever  since  the  war,  he  had  taken 
pains  to  learn  to  read  and  write.  When  absent  from 
the  missionaries,  he  had  carried  writing  copies  about 
with  him,  and  practised  by  himself,  and  now  he  was 
able  to  write  notes  tolerably  well.  He  remained, 
indeed,  as  wicked  as  before,  but  he  grew  more  and 
more  anxious  to  conceal  his  wickedness  from  the 
missionaries. 

The  year  after  his  father's  death,  Pomare  left  the 
brethren,  and  went  to  the  island  of  Eimeo,  taking 
with  him  his  god  Oro.  The  Atehurans  were  much 
grieved  to  lose  the  idol  from  their  country,  but  they 
did  not  show  their  sorrow  openly.  The  fame  of  Oro 
had  become  greater  than  ever,  since  the  death  of  the 

NihtofTo . 


82  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

late  Pomare  ;  for  it  was  declared  that  Oro  had  killed 
him  by  his  power,  to  punish  him  for  having  once 
placed  a  sacred  cloth  of  Oro  upon  his  son  Otu. 

The  present  King  Pomare' s  power  was  also  con- 
sidered exceedingly  great.  It  was  said  that  he  could 
kill  men  by  his  prayers,  and  the  following  story  was 
related  as  a  proof  of  it. 

Once  while  he  was  worshipping  his  idols,  a  man 
disturbed  him  by  beating  a  drum.  He  sent  to  desire 
him  to  leave  off,  but  the  man  continued  to  annoy 
him.  Pomare  then  said,  "  Let  him  alone,"  and  that 
same  night  the  man  expired. 

But  the  king  knew  that,  though  the  people  feared 
him,  there  were  many  who  hated  him ;  and  tie  was 
afraid  of  another  war  breaking  out. 

He  wished  to  show  the  people  in  Tahiti,  that  he 
desired  peace.  For  this  purpose,  while  he  was  at 
Eimeo,  he  sacrificed  a  man,  and  sent  various  bits  of 
his  body  to  different  places  in  Tahiti.  The  top  of  a 
finger  was  sent  to  Matavai,  and  pieces  of  the  hair, 
and  of  the  feet  and  hands,  to  other  places. 

Still,  he  knew  it  was  probable,  that  war  would 
soon  be  declared,  and  therefore  he  tried  to  prepare 
himself  for  it,  by  collecting  all  the  muskets  he  could 
find.  He  induced  some  of  the  people  in  Eimeo  to 
exchange  their  muskets  for  gifts,  but  he  forced  away 
those  of  others.  The  people  of  Tahiti  heard  that  he 
meant,  when  he  returned,  to  take  their  muskets  also, 


BURNING    OF    THE    PLANTATION.  83 

and  they  resolved  to  die  sooner  than  to  part  from 
them.  Thus  the  king's  violent  behavior  fanned  the 
spark  of  anger  in  his  subjects'  breasts,  and  made  it 
more  probable  that  they  would  soon  rebel. 

When  the  missionaries  heard  of  these  disputes,  they 
saw  that  it  was  too  likely  they  might  one  day  behold 
another  war,  which  was  the  thing  they  most  dreaded, 
especially  on  account  of  the  women  and  children  in 
the  family. 

In  September,  1805,  the  brethren  suffered  a  very 
severe  loss.  They  had  enclosed  a  piece  of  ground 
about  a  mile  from  their  dwellings,  and  planted  in  it 
six  hundred  cocoa-nut  trees,  orange-trees,  and  lemon- 
trees.  They  had  watched  over  these  trees  for  two 
years,  when,  in  one  night,  the  precious  plantation 
was  almost  all  burnt.  They  suspected  that  some 
envious  persons  had  set  fire  to  the  long  grass  that 
grew  on  the  outside  of  the  fence. 

None  of  the  natives  took  any  pains  to  discover  how 
the  trees  had  been  destroyed,  or  appeared  to  feel  sor- 
row for  the  loss.  The  brethren  met  together  to  con- 
sider whether  they  should  inform  the  king  of  the 
affair,  but  they  agreed  not  to  complain,  for  fear  blood 
might  be  shed  on  their  account. 

The  brethren  would  have  found  it  hard  indeed  to 
continue  to  labor  for  the  souls  of  these  ungrateful 
people,  had  they  not  remembered  Him,  who,  when 
we  were  enemies,  delivered  up  his  Son  for  our  sins. 


84  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOLL. 

This  thought  enabled  them  to  bear  their  injuries 
meekly,  and  to  continue  unwearied  in  their  work  of 


The  king  remained  in  Eimeo  one  year  and  a  half. 
In  January,  1806,  he  returned  to  Tahiti. 

The  brethren  went  to  Pare,  where  the  king  landed, 
to  meet  him.  The  queen,  who  was  with  him,  ap- 
peared to  be  extremely  ill.  The  king  seemed  pleased 
to  see  the  brethren,  and  told  them  that  he  should 
come  in  a  few  days  to  Matavai,  and  should  wish  them 
to  build  a  small  plastered  house  for  him,  close  to  their 
own,  in  which  he  might  write  without  being  dis- 
turbed. He  also  expressed  a  wish  that  some  presents 
might  be  made  him. 

Although  the  king  continued  obstinate  in  wicked- 
ness, he  appeared  anxious  to  be  more  than  ever  with 
the  missionaries.  One  day  he  requested  them  to  ask 
his  mother  whether  he  might  enter  the  new  mission- 
ary house,  which  was  built  after  the  arrival  of  the 
new  missionaries,  as  he  was  desirous  to  go  into  the 
upper  rooms,  never  having  seen  any  rooms  raised 
above  the  ground  floor.  It  appears  that  Idia  had 
power  to  set  aside  the  Tahitian  law,  which  made  all 
houses  that  kings  entered  belong  to  them,  Idia  gave 
the  desired  permission,  and  the  king  gratified  his 
curiosity  by  walking  through  the  upper  rooms,  but 
he  did  not  go  into  the  lower  rooms,  or  into  the  other 
houses  of  the  missionaries. 


THE    KING'S   STUDY.  85 

In  March,  1806,  the  brethren  endured  a  loss,  not 
of  property,  but  of  one  of  their  own  selves.  Mr. 
Shelley  set  sail  with  his  wife  and  child  in  a  ship  that 
touched  at  the  island. 

Mr.  Shelley's  room,  which  was  up  stairs,  was  given 
to  Mr.  Tessier.  The  missionaries  were  soon  after- 
wards surprised  at  receiving  the  following  note  from 
the  king.  It  was,  of  course,  written  in  the  Tahitian 
language.  This  is  the  translation  of  it. 

"  FRIENDS — Give  me  the  room  above — the  room 
that  belonged  to  Mr.  Shelley — give  to  me  for  a  writ- 
ing-place. Let  the  room  below  be  for  Tessier,  and 
that  above  for  me.  If  all  agreed  to  by  you,  make  up 
this  my  speech  ;  if  agreed  by  you,  write  that  I  may 
know  your  speech. 

"POM ARE,  KING." 

The  missionaries  consulted  together  about  what 
answer  they  should  send  to  this  note.  They  did  not 
like  to  let  Pomare  have  the  room,  for  several  reasons. 
One  was,  that  Mr.  Tessier  wanted  it,  and  had  come 
into  it  the  day  before.  Another  was,  that  if  the  king 
lived  there,  the  brethren  would  be  much  disturbed  : 
people  would  often  be  coming  to  speak  to  the  king 
upon  business,  would  eat  messes  of  food  in  the  house 
and  around  it,  and  would  make  the  place  very  untidy  ; 
would  trample  the  garden  under  foot,  and  beg  for  the 
fruit  growing  upon  the  trees,  or  even  take  it  without 
leave.  The  brethren,  therefore,  determined  to  pro- 


86  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

pose  helping  to  build  the  king  a  small  house  near 
them,  as  he  had  once  expressed  a  wish  for  such  a 
house.  Still,  they  were  afraid  that  the  king  had  set 
his  heart  upon  living  with  them  in  their  large  house. 
They  sent  him  a  kind  note  to  tell  him  that  they  would 
have  allowed  him  to  have  the  room,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  noise  and  litter  that  his  people  would  make. 
In  a  few  days  they  were  pleased  at  receiving  the 
following  answer  from  the  king. 

"  FRIENDS — Thus  my  speech  continueth,  and  this 
is  my  desire.  Do  you  stand  to  my  wish,  and  turn 
not  away  your  hearing,  but  hear  you  my  speech. 
Give  you  Mr.  Nott  and  Mr.  Bicknell  for  workmen  to 
do  my  room  towards  the  sea,  in  the  new  house  ;  for 
there  it  will  be  made,  if  agreed  well  by  you.  Friends, 
give  also  a  saw,  a  plane,  chisels,  and  other  small 
things  for  the  work.  Agree  you  well  to  it  ?  Is  it 
agreed  ?  Perhaps  not.  Write  you  your  speech,  that 
I  may  know.  This  is  all.  The  speech  is  ended. 

"  May  it  be  well  with  you,  friends. 

"POM ARE,  KING." 

The  brethren  readily  agreed  to  help  the  king  to 
build  this  little  room,  and  sent  the  following  answer. 

"  May  you  live,  0  king  ! 

"  The  speech  you  have  written  we  agree  to.  We 
will  give  the  saw,  augers,  gimlets,  and  nails,  to  work 
your  work. 

"JOHN  DAVIES." 


DEATH   OF    THE    QUEEN.  87 

The  room  was  soon  finished.  The  king  spent  many 
hours  in  it  writing.  He  never  sat  down  to  write,  but 
used  to  lie  upon  the  floor,  leaning  on  his  chest.  He 
also  learned  to  read  English  a  little.  But  still  he 
continued  to  work  iniquity. 

This  spring  his  queen  Tetua  had  an  infant.  Po- 
mare  told  the  missionaries  that  it  had  died,  and  pre- 
tended to  be  sorry  for  its  death,  though  he  himself 
had  allowed  it  to  be  killed. 

_  The  queen,  who  had  been  ill  for  some  time,  now 
grew  much  worse.  The  king  sent  for  a  man  to  cure 
her,  who,  it  was  said,  had  the  spirit  of  Mane-mane 
dwelling  in  him.  You  remember  that  that  old  priest 
was  considered  very  powerful.  However,  the  queen 
was  not  cured. 

At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  July  21st,  1806, 
Tetua  died,  aged  about  twenty-four  years.  Alas, 
though  she  had  known  the  missionaries  for  nine  years, 
she  died  a  stranger  to  the  true  God. 

The  king  appeared  unhappy  at  her  death,  and  so 
did  several  of  his  servants.  Idia  and  a  few  other 
women  cut  themselves  with  sharks'  teeth  upon  the 
occasion.  The  body  was  put  in  a  canoe  the  same 
day,  and  taken  to  Pare  to  be  embalmed,  and  placed 
under  a  shed  in  a  little  ';ourt.  All  things  the  queen 
had  used  in  her  lifetime  were  placed  near  her,  such 
as  her  cups,  combs,  dishes,  baskets,  and  tomahawk ; 
but  they  were  broken,  in  order  to  prevent  people  tak- 


88  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

ing  .them  aw^y.  Her  relations  brought  her  fool 
every  day ;  and  as  they  laid  it  on  the  altar,  they 
offered  a  short  prayer  to  tell  her  that  there  were  fish 
and  cocoa-nuts  for  her  spirit. 

"While  these  events  were  occurring,  the  brethren 
ceased  not  to  labor,  as  we  have  before  described,  in 
teaching  the  people,  and  making  journeys  round  the 
island.  As  they  were  cast  down  at  seeing  no  person 
turn  to  God,  in  May  they  appointed  a  day  for  fasting 
and  prayer.  On  this  day  they  met  together  four 
times  for  prayer,  and  implored  God  to  pardon  their 
sins,  and  to  enable  them  to  bring  some  of  the  poor 
heathen  to  a  knowledge  of  himself. 

Mr.  Davies  had  taken  particular  pains  to  teach  the 
children  in  Tahiti.  He  had  walked  much  about  the 
island  on  purpose  to  find  them ;  and  Mr.  Scott  and 
Mr.  Wilson  had  sometimes  done  the  same".  They 
had  all  found  great  difficulty  in  getting  the  children 
to  come  round  them  to  be  taught.  At  first,  the  chil- 
dren were  shy,  and  frightened  ;  and  afterwards  they 
were  idle ;  and  as  they  liked  play  better  than  learn- 
ing, they  often  ran  and  hid  themselves  when  they 
saw  their  teachers  coming.  The  grown-up  people 
did  the  children  a  great  deal  of  harm  by  their  bad 
advice.  They  told  them  to  say  to  the  missionaries, 
"  You  come  very  often,  but  what  property  do  you 
give  us  ?  If  you  do  not  bring  us  beads,  pins,  or  fish- 
hooks, we  will  not  be  taught.  What  is  the  good  of 


THE    FIRST    SCHOOL.  89 

teaching  us  ?  It  only  tires  us.  You  say  you  pity 
us  ;  why  do  you  not  give  us  cloth  ?" 

These  poor  little  children  did  not  know  the  value 
of  their  souls.  How  could  they  know  it,  when 
their  parents  taught  them  only  to  care  for  such 
things  ? 

The  grown-up  people  often  sat  by  the  children 
while  they  were  being  taught,  and  talked  to  them, 
or  even  w.hispered  nonsense  into  their  ears,  to  make 
them  laugh,  or  contradicted  all  the  missionaries  said, 
and  told  the  children  it  was  nonsense. 

You  will,  perhaps,  wish  to  know  what  kind  of  in- 
struction the  missionaries  gave  to  the  children.  They 
could  not  teach  them  to  read,  for  the  children  would 
not  look  at  their  letters ;  so  they  only  taught  them 
to  repeat  a  short  catechism  by  heart.  Some  of  the 
children  at  last  learned  this  catechism  perfectly,  and 
even  remembered  it  after  not  having  been  taught 
for  several  months.  This  was  some  encouragement 
to  the  brethren,  and  induced  them  to  make  a  longer 
catechism. 

They  found,  however,  that  they  wasted  much  time 
in  going  to  look  for  the  children,  especially  since  the 
king's  return  to  Tahiti ;  for  now  there  were  feasts 
continually  given  in  different  places,  and  the  children 
were  always  going  to  these  feasts ;  and  some  of  the 
boys  became  servants  to  the  king,  and  followed  him 
about  from  place  to  place. 


90  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

In  November,  1806,  Mr.  Davies  opened  a  school 
in  the  new  house,  and  invited  the  boys,  who  lived 
near,  to  attend  it  on  three  evenings  in  the  week.  The 
boys  that  helped  the  brethren  to  cook  were  among 
the  scholars.  The  children  liked  the  school  so  much, 
that  a  month  afterwards,  they  asked  Mr.  Davies  to 
teach  them  oftener.  He  agreed  to  instruct  them 
every  morning.  These  boys  learned  to  read  and  to 
write.  They  were  taught  first  to  make  letters  on 
the  sand  by  the  sea-shore.  The  missionaries  pre- 
pared some  spelling-books  for  them,  and  some  his- 
tories from  the  Bible,  and  sent  the  books  to  England 
to  be  printed,  and  in  the  meanwhile  they  used  in 
the  school  little  books  they  had  written  out.  This 
school  cheered  the  missionaries'  spirits,  because  the 
boys  seemed  to  take  a  pleasure  in  learning. 

Another  event  happened  at  the  end  of  the  year, 
which  gave  the  brethren  some  relief.  They  had  not 
heard  from  their  friends  in  England  for  five  years — 
not  since  the  Royal  Admiral  had  brought  the  new 
missionaries.  At  length  a  vessel  arrived  with  letters 
and  parcels.  Their  joy,  however,  was  mixed  with 
disappointment ;  for  the  clothes  that  had  been  sent 
to  them,  were  so  much  injured  by  the  sea- water,  that 
many  of  them  could  not  be  used  at  all. 

The  brethren,  knowing  Pomare's  covetous  disposi- 
tion, sent  him  some  of  the  things  they  had  received, 
and  wrote  him  the  following  note : 


POMARE'S    LETTER.  91 

"  POMARE — This  is  the  property  that  is  left  for 
you,  ten  hatchets,  ten  scissors,  ten  looking-glasses, 
six  razors.  They  are  from  all  the  missionaries.  The 
cloth  is  rotten. 

"JOHN  YOUL." 

Soon  afterwards  they  received  the  following  note 
/rom  the  king : 

"  FRIENDS — I  am  greatly  pleased  with  your  present, 

"POMARE." 

As  there  was  no  word  for  " thanks"  in  Tahitian, 
Pomare  could  not  have  expressed  his  gratitude,  even 
if  he  had  felt  any. 

By  this  ship  there  arrived  a  letter  for  Pomare  from 
the  directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society. .  It 
was  in  English,  and  was  read  to  Pomare  by  the  breth- 
ren in  Tahitian.  Pomare  was  able  to  answer  the 
letter  himself.  He  wrote  a  long  letter  in  Tahitian, 
the  brethren  translated  it  into  English,  and  then  Po- 
mare copied  the  English,  and  sent  both  the  Tahitian 
letter  and  the  English  letter  to  the  directors. 

As  the  letter  was  long,  I  will  only  give  a  part  of  it. 

"  FRIENDS — I  wish  you  every  blessing,  friends,  in 
your  residence  in  your  country,  with  success  in  teach- 
big  this  bad  land,  this  foolish  land,  this  land  which 
knoweth  not  the  true  God,  this  regardless  land. 

"  Your  request  I  fully  consent  to,  and  shall  conse- 
quently banish  Oro,  and  send  him  to  Raiatea. 


92  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

"  Friends,  I  hope  also  you  will  consent  to  my  re- 
quest, which  is  this:  I  wish  you  to  send  a  great 
number  of  men,  women,  and  children  here.  Friends, 
send  also  property  and  cloth  for  us,  and  wf^  also  will 
adopt  English  customs. 

"  Friends,  send  also  plenty  of  muskets,  and  pow- 
der, for  wars  are  frequent  in  our  country.  Should  I 
be  killed,  you  will  have  nothing  in  Tahiti.  Do  not 
come  here  when  I  am  dead ;  Tahiti  is  a  regardless 
country. 

11  This  also  I  wish,  that  you  would  send  me  all  the 
curious  things  that  you  have  in  England.  Also, 
send  me  every  thing  necessary  for  writing — paper, 
ink,  and .  pens,  in  abundance  ;  let  no  writing  utensil 
be  wanting. 

"As  for  your  desire  to  instruct  Tahiti,  it  is  what 
I  fully  acquiesce  in.  It  is  a  common  thing  for  peo- 
ple not  to  understand  at  first;  but  your  object  is 
good,  and  I  fully  consent  to  it,  and  shall  cast  off  all 
evil  customs. 

"  What  I  say  is  truth,  and  no  lie ;  it  is  the  real 
truth." 

"Was  this  letter  sincere?  Can  we  think  it  was, 
when  Pomare  very  soon  afterwards  desired  that  a 
man  might  be  killed  at  Atehuru  as  a  sacrifice,  and 
taken  in  a  canoe  to  another  place  ?  In  order  to  con- 
ceal the  deed  from  the  missionaries,  he  desired  that 


THE   KING'S    UNBELIEF.  93 

the  canoe,  in  passing  Matavai,  might  keep  far  out  to 
eea.  Pomare  made  such  fair  promises  to  the  direc- 
tors in  England,  only  that  he  might  coax  them  to 
Bend  him  property.  He  did  not  now  wish  to  be  in- 
structed about  God,  though  he  once  had  appeared 
inclined  to  attend.  As  he  was  almost  all  day  in  one 
of  the  rooms  of  the  brethren,  he  was  often  spoken  to 
about  his  soul,  and  his  sins,  but  he  always  turned 
the  conversation  to  some  other  subject;  and  still 
seemed  to  be  a  "child  of  the  devil,"  "an  enemy  of 
all  righteousness." 


04  THE  NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

PARKER  DAYS  THAN  ANY  THAT  HAD  GONE  BEFORE,  SUCCEEDED 
BY  VERY  BRIGHT  ONES. 

THE  event  the  brethren  dreaded  at  length  occurred. 
In  May,  1807,  there  was  another  war  in  Tahiti. 

A  very  trifling  circumstance  was  the  principal  oc- 
casion of  it.  A  man  in  Atehuru  made  the  bones  of 
a  chief,  who  had  once  been  slain  in  battle,  into  fish- 
hooks. Now  this  chief  was  a  relation  of  the  king's, 
and  it  was  considered  an  insult  to  the  king  to  turn 
the  bones  to  such  a  use.  The  king  was  much  in- 
clined to  war,  and  he  was  encouraged  to  begin  it  by 
one  of  those  wicked  men  who  pretended  to  be  in- 
spired by  Oro.  This  prophet,  who  was  called  Metia, 
said  that  Oro  was  angry,  and  that  he  wished  the  king 
to  fight  against  the  men  of  Atehuru.  This  war  last- 
ed about  three  years,  and  the  island  was  in  such  an 
unsettled  state,  that  the  missionaries  were  all  obliged 
to  leave  it.  Mr.  Nott  and  Mr.  Hayward  went  to  the 
neighboring  island  of  Huahine,  but  all  the  rest  went 
to  Port  Jackson,  in  New  South  Wales.  After  some 
time,  the  brethren  who  were  at  Port  Jackson  received 
a  letter  from  Pomare,  in  which  he  told  them  that 
many  chiefs  had  brought  men  from  other  islands  to 
help  him  to  subdue  his  rebellious  subjects,  and  that 


MISSIONARIES  AT  E1MEO.  95 

he  was  now  acknowledged  king,  and  at  the  same 
time  he  entreated  them  to  return. 

'  Soon  afterwards  letters  arrived  from  Mr.  Hayward 
and  Mr.  Nott,  mentioning  that  they  were  with  the 
king  at  Eimeo,  and  that  peace  still  continued.  Most 
of  the  missionaries  accordingly  returned  the  first  op- 
portunity to  the  poor  heathen.  After  a  fatiguing 
voyage,  they  arrived  at  Eimeo  on  the  last  day  of 
October.  They  found  the  king  there  as  well  as  his 
mother  Idia,  Mr.  Hayward,  and  Mr.  Nott. 

Pomare  received  them  with  great  delight.  The 
brethren  soon  observed  that  he  appeared  to  regard 
his  idols  less  than  he  had  done  in  time  past :  partly, 
perhaps,  from  having  found  the  prophecies  of  the 
prophet  Mitia,  respecting  his  success,  so  false ;  part- 
ly, perhaps,  from  his  afflictions,  and  the  company,  at 
such  a  season,  of  Mr.  Nott  and  Mr.  Hayward. 

The  missionaries  had  to  suffer  great  inconven- 
iences, as  they  had  no  comfortable  houses,  like  those 
they  had  built  in  Tahiti. 

Before  these  missionaries  had  arrived,  Pomare  had 
written  another  letter  to  Mr.  Henry,  entreating  him 
to  come.  This  is  part  of  his  letter : 

"Where  are  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eyre?  Are  they  set- 
tled? I  am  grieving  for  them.  "Where  are  the 
other  missionaries  ?  Where  is  their  dwelling-plaoe  ? 
I  shall  not  give  over  my  sorrowing  for  them.  We 


96  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

do  not  regard  our  dwelling-place  here,  since  the  mis- 
sionaries are  not  here ;  they  are  wanted  to  make  us 
happy.  We  are  now  lonesome — Notty  and  Mr.  Hay- 
ward  also.  My  good  friends,  agree  to  my  request  to 
you,  and  then  I  shall  be  happy :  come  you  here,  my 
dear  friend,  come  you  here  to  Tahiti.  When  you 
come,  procure  a  little  wine  for  us.  If  you  come,  I 
shall  be  happy.  Write  to  me,  that  I  may  know  youi 
sentiments,  my  dear  friend.  Do  not  be  neglectful, 
as  I  am  grieving  for  you,  my  dear  friend.  Don't  you 
closely  look  at  this  badly  written  letter. 

"Health  and  happiness  to  you,  and  Mrs.  Henry; 
may  you  live  and  prosper.  Tare,  Tiritahi,  and  little 
Jo  also.^ 

"  May  we  all  be  saved  by  Jehovah,  the  true  God 
of  this  world — our  Confidence. 

"  POMARE." 

There  were  now  seven  missionaries  in  Eimeo, 
namely,  Messrs.  Nott,  Hayward,  Bicknell,  Scott,  Wil- 
son, Davies,  and  Henry. 

The  place  where  they  settled  was  called  Pa-pe- 
to-ai,  and  was  situated  near  Talu  harbor,  a  safe  and 
convenient  place  for  ships  to  cast  anchor  in. 

Here  they  built  dwellings,  and  planted  gardens ; 
they  built  also  a  very  small  chapel,  in  which  they 
had  service  every  Sabbath  in  the  Tahitian  language ; 

*  These  were  the  names  the  natives  gave  to  Mr.  Henry's 
children,  Sarah,  Samuel,  and  Eleanor. 


A  JOYFUL  EVENT.  97 

but  very  few  people  attended,  as  most  of  the  chiefs 
had  gone  with  their  servants  to  Tahiti.  This  chapel 
only  cost  them  twenty-four  looking-glasses,  which  had 
been  bought  in  England  for  sixteen  shillings,  and 
which  they  gave  to  the  natives,  as  a  reward  for  as- 
sisting to  build  the  chapel. 

They  also  opened  a  school,  but  could  only  procure 
twenty  scholars,  whom  they  taught  to  write  on  the 
sand,  and  to  read  in  printed  spelling-books. 

They  wished  to  go  to  other  islands  to  spread  the 
Gospel,  but  they  thought  it  would  be  well  first  to 
build  a  ship  that  might  be  always  at  their  command, 
to  take  them  from  island  to  island.  In  order  to  build 
it,  they  were  obliged  to  remain  together.  Some 
events  also  occurred  which  inclined  them  to  continue 
in  Eimeo.  One  of  these  was  the  most  joyful  that 
could  have  happened,  though  others  were  of  a  mourn- 
ful nature. 

Pomare  grew  more  and  more  attentive  to  the  breth- 
ren's instructions,  and  on  one  occasion  he  gave  a  proof 
of  his  disregard  of  his  idols  that  caused  much  surprise. 

It  was  the  custom,  when  the  natives  caught  a  tur- 
tle, to  bring  it  to  Pomare,  because  it  was  a  sacred 
animal,  that  might  not  be  eaten  like  other  food.  It 
was  thought  necessary  that  the  king  should  send  it 
first  to  the  idol's  temple  to  be  dressed  with  sacred 
fire,  and  give  part  of  it  to  the  idol  before  he  ate  any 
himself. 

Night  of  Toil.  7 


i)8  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

In  the  spring  of  1812,  a  turtle  was  caught,  and 
Pomare's  servants  were  taking  it  to  the  temple,  when 
the  king  called  them  back,  and  desired  them  to  dress 
it  in  the  oven  in  his  kitchen,  and  to  serve  it  all  up 
for  his  dinner. 

The  servants  thought  the  king  was  mad,  or  in  joke , 
out  when  they  heard  him  repeat  the  order,  they  were 
obliged  to  obey. 

At  dinnertime  the  king's  friends  and  servants 
stood  around  in  silence,  expecting  to  see  the  king 
presently  fall  in  convulsions,  or  drop  down  dead.  In 
vain  the  king  asked  them  to  eat  with  him,  and  as- 
sured them  that  the  gods  had  no  power  to  hurt  them. 
The  servants,  as  they  removed  the  dishes,  expressed 
their  surprise  that  he  had  not  yet  been  punished, 
while  they  still  fully  expected,  that  before  the  mor- 
row, some  judgment  would  be  sent.  But,  as  no  harm 
did  befall  him,  the  king  was  much  confirmed  by  this 
event,  in  his  contempt  of  idols. 

Pomare's  conduct  on  this  occasion  would  have 
been  much  more  surprising,  if  another  of  the  natives 
had  not  already  tried  a  still  bolder  experiment.  This 
native  was  Pahi,  the  brother  of  the  king  of  Raiatea. 
Some  time  before,  when  he  was  at  Tahiti  with  king 
Pomare,  he  dreamed  that  a  large  fierce  cat  pounced 
upon  him,  and  tore  his  face  in  a  shocking  manner. 
He  awoke  in  great  alarm,  but  falling  asleep  again, 
dreamed  the  same  thing ;  and  after  again  awaking, 


POMARE'S    MARRIAGE.  99 

fell  asleep,  and  dreamed  it  a  third  time.  He  then 
said  to  himself,  "  This  is  my  bad  god  who  has  disturb- 
ed me ;  I  will  destroy  it."  Next  day  he  seized  the 
log  of  wood,  which  till  then  he  had  worshipped,  threw 
it  into  the  flames  of  an  oven,  and  baked  some  bread- 
fruit with  it.  The  natives  were  astonished  at  his 
boldness  in  burning  the  god ;  but  still  more  at  his 
daring  to  eat  the  breadfruit  that  had  been  baked 
with  its  ashes.  Pomare  was  then  very  angry  with 
Pahi,  and  yet,  as  you  have  seen,  soon  afterwards 
behaved  in  a  similar  manner. 

About  this  time  Pomare  declared,  that  for  the  fu- 
ture he  would  only  have  one  wife.  He  determined 
to  marry  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  king  of  Raiatea. 
Accordingly  he  sent  a  message  to  that  monarch  to 
inform  him  of  his  intention,  promising  to  send  a  fleet 
of  canoes  with  some  chiefs,  to  fetch  the  princess.'  The 
king  of  Raiatea  had  another  daughter,  named  Tera, 
a  little  younger  than  her  sister,  and  much  handsomer. 
She  asked  her  father  to  allow  her  to  visit  Pomare 
immediately,  and  when  she  had  obtained  permission, 
she  set  out,  accompanied  by  a  great  train  of  chiefs, 
both  men  and  women.  When  Pomare  saw  her,  he 
liked  her  so  well  that  he  determined  to  make  her  his 
wife.  It  is  probable  that  Tera  had  hoped,  before 
she  set  out,  that  Pornare  would  act  in  this  manner. 
Pomare  was,  however,  afraid  lest  the  king  of  Raiatea 
should  be  offended  at  what  he  had  done,  and  should 


100  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

go  to  war  with,  him ;  therefore  he  said  to  Tera,  "  You 
shall  not  be  my  queen;  your  eldest  sister  shall  be 
my  queen,  and  you  shall  be  my  wife" 

He  sent  the  fleet  to  fetch  the  eldest  sister,  as  he 
had  promised ;  and  when  she  arrived,  she  bore  the 
title  of  Pomare  Vahine,  or  the  female  Pomare,  and 
was  treated  with  more  honor  than  her  sister.  But 
though  Pomare  appointed  his  wife's  sister  to  the  dig- 
nity of  queen,  we  will  not  call  her.  queen  in  this  his- 
tory, because  in  other  histories  she  is  not  spoken  of 
under  that  name.  We  shall  therefore  call  Tera  queen, 
and  Pomare  Vahine  we  shall  call  the  queen's  sister. 
You  will,  however,  expect  to  hear  of  Pomare  Yahine 
very  often,  and  to  find  that  she  is  a  person  of  great 
consequence.  She  was  also  the  queen  of  the  island 
of  Huahine,  though,  as  she  did  not  live  there,  a  per- 
son called  regent  ruled  in  her  stead. 

At  length  Tera  the  queen  had  a  little  daughter. 
The  conduct  of  Pomare,  with  regard  to  this  infant, 
was  very  hopeful.  In  former  times,  very  strange 
commands  were  given  upon  the  birth  of  a  royal  in- 
fant. No  fires  were  allowed  to  be  lighted  for  many 
days,  except  at  a  great  distance  from  its  dwelling. 
No  boat  was  allowed  to  leave  the  shore,  so  that  the 
people  were  generally  much  distressed  for  fish ;  and 
no  persons  were  permitted  to  approach  the  child  ex- 
cept sacred  persons,  dressed  in  sacred  clothes.  Po- 
mare observed  none  of  these  customs,  but  told  the 


THE   KING  DESIRES   BAPTISM.  101 

missionaries  that  he  wished  his  baby  to  be  brought 
up  like  an  English  child,  and  asked  them  to  give 
him  cups,  saucers,  and  spoons,  that  he  might  have 
it  fed  in  the  English  manner.  This  child  was  called 
Ai-ma-ta,  of  whom  you  will  hear  much  hereafter. 

On  the  18th  of  July,  1812,  Pomare  held  a  con- 
versation with  the  missionaries  which  greatly  de- 
lighted them.  He  came  to  them  and  said,  "You  do 
not  know  the  thoughts  of  my  heart,  nor  I  yours,  but 
God  does."  This  was  the  way  he  began  the  conver- 
sation. I  cannot  repeat  it  all,  but  in  the  course  of  it 
he  said,  "  I  wish  to  be  baptized,  for  it  is  my  fixed 
purpose  to  cleave  to  Jehovah,  and  to  you,  who  arc 
his  people.  I  wish  you  to  pray  for  me." 

One  of  the  brethren  replied,  "  We  have  never 
ceased  to  pray  for  you,  and  it  would  truly  rejoice  us 
to  see  you  give  your  heart  to  God.  Then  we  would 
baptize  you." 

Pomare  again  answered,  "  You  do  not  know  my 
heart,  nor  I  yours ;  but  He  who  made  men  knows 
their  hearts,  and  whether  they  speak  truth  or  false- 
hood to  each  other." 

The  brethren  then  said,  "It  is  the  custom  for 
missionaries  not  to  baptize  heathens  as  soon  as  they 
desire  it,  but  to  wait,  and  instruct  them  in  the 
things  of  God  for  some  time,  and  to  observe  their 
conduct,  to  see  whether  they  have  truly  forsaken  evil 
ways." 


102  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

Pomare  replied,  "  I  am  willing  to  do  as  you  think 
proper,  and  to  be  baptized  when  you  see  fit." 

In  the  course  of  this  conversation,  Pomare  said, 
"  I  should  like  to  build  a  chapel ;" — for  the  chapel 
already  built  was  very  small. 

The  missionaries  proposed  waiting  till  all  the,  con- 
fusion in  the  islands  was  over  ;  but  Pomare  answered, 
"  Let  us  not  mind  it ;  let  the  chapel  be  built  at  all 
events."  Pomare  also  said,  "  I  have  been  trying  to 
persuade  Tamatoa  and  Tapoa,"  who  were  kings  of 
other  islands,  "  to  do  as  I  intend  to  do ;  but  they  say, 
*  You  may  do  as  you  please ;  for  our  parts,  we  will 
cleave  to  Oro.'  But  that  is  the  same,"  observed 
Pomare,  "  as  cleaving  to  Satan.  If  no  one  else  would 
hear  you,  or  turn  to  your  God,  yet  I  would  ;  for  I  de- 
sire to  be  happy  after  death,  and  to  be  saved  in  the 
day  of  judgment." 

It  is  impossible  to  express  what  joy  the  missiona- 
ries felt,  when  they  heard  Pomare  speak  in  this  man- 
ner. They  were  not,  however,  quite  sure  whether 
Pomare  was  really  converted,  and  they  waited  with 
anxiety  to  observe  his  behavior. 

They  would  have  begun  to  build  the  chapel  imme- 
diately, but  in  less  than  a  month  after  this  conver- 
sation, two  chiefs  came  over  from  Tahiti,  and  invited 
Pomare  to  return,  promising  to  endeavor  to  reconcile 
all  their  disputes  with  him ;  for  the  peace  that  had 
been  already  made  between  Pomare  and  his  subject* 


POMARE'S    PENITENT    LETTERS.  10'J 

had  not  been  a  sound  and  sincere  one.  The  mission- 
aries beheld  him  depart  to  Tahiti  with  great  regret, 
as  they  feared  lest  he  should  yield  to  the  temptations 
he  would  meet  with. 

About  this  time  they  were  encouraged  to  hope  for 
more  conversions,  by  the  happy  death  of  one  of  their 
young  servants.  Though,  when  first  taken  ill,  he 
would  not  listen  to  them,  he  seemed  at  length  to  be 
brought  to  repentance,  and  cried  for  pardoning  mercy 
through  Christ,  till  he  could  speak  no  more. 

The  brethren  received  from  Pomare  after  his  de- 
parture, very  different  letters  from  any  he  had  ever 
written  before.  In  one  of  these  letters  he  said, 

"  You  indeed  will  be  saved,  you  are  become  the 
people  of  God  ;  but  I  may  be  banished  to  hell ;  God 
may  not  regard  me ;  I  am  a  wicked  man,  and  my 
sins  are  great,  and  heaped  together." 

In  another  letter  he  said, 

"I  was  taken  ill  about  three  o'clock  on  Monday 
morning  last.  My  affliction  is  great,  but  if  I  can 
only  obtain  God's  favor  before  I  die,  I  shall  count 
myself  well  off.  But  0,  should  I  die  with  my  sins 
unpardoned,  it  will  be  ill  indeed  with  me." 

In  a  third  letter  Pomare  wrote  thus : 

"  I  continue  to  pray  to  God  without  ceasing.  Re- 
gardless of  other  things,  I  am  concerned  only  thfit  my 


104  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

soul  may  be  saved  by  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  my  earnest 
desire  that  I  may  become  one  of  Jehovah's  people, 
and  that  God  may  turn  away  his  anger  from  me, 
which  I  deserve  for  my  wickedness,  my  ignorance  of 
him,  and  my  heaped-up  crimes." 

Some  months  afterwards,  Pomare  seemed  to  feel  a 
brighter  hope  of  pardon,  for  he  said  in  another  letter, 

"I  venture  with  my  guilt  to  Jesus  Christ,  though 
I  am  not  equalled  in  wickedness,  nor  equalled  in 
guilt,  nor  equalled  in  obstinate  wickedness  and  rejec- 
tion of  the  truth  ;  that  this  very  wicked  man  may  be 
saved  by  Jehovah  Jesus  Christ." 

The  missionaries  now  thought  that  Pomare  must 
be  really  converted*  for  he  seemed  so  much  grieved 
on  account  of  his  sins.  He  also  appeared  anxious  to 
do  what  was  right,  for  in  the  last  letter  that  has 
been  quoted,  he  said,  "  There  are  a  great  many  thieves 
in  Tahiti ;  they  have  stolen  six  pieces  of  cloth,  and 
books,  and  other  things.  Shall  I  sin  in  killing  the 
thieves  ?  Write  me  fully  what  you  think,  my  dear 
friends." 

Once  Pomare  murdered  men  who  had  done  him 
no  harm  ;  now  he  was  afraid  of  being  cruel  to  those 
who  had  robbed  him.  He  also  observed  the  Sabbath 
constantly,  and  endeavored  to  persuade  all  his  friends 
to  turn  to  God.  Though  he  was  a  king,  many 


A  GREAT   CHANGE.  .105 

mocked  him  on  account  of  his  religion,  and  told  him 
angrily,  that  he  was  the  cause  of  all  the  troubles  in 
Tahiti,  because  he  had  offended  Oro,  who  had  made 
him  king. 

The  missionaries  were  filled  with  astonishment  to 
think  that  so  very  wicked  a  man  as  Pomare  had 
been,  should  turn  to  God ;  yet  Christ,  they  knew, 
came  to  save  the  chief  of  sinners.  They  gave  all 
the  glory  of  the  change  to  the  great  and  wonderful 
grace  of  God,  which  alone  could  change  so  great  and 
wonderful  a  sinner. 


JOG  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOTL 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    JOYFUL    DISCOVERY. 

THE  missionaries  now  found  the  people  in  JEiineo 
very  ready  to  attend  to  their  instructions,  and  they 
heard  that  the  people  in  Tahiti  also  were  inquiring 
after  the  true  God.  It  was  agreed  that  two  of  the 
brethren  should  go  over  to  Tahiti,  to  see  whether  the 
joyful  report  was  true. 

Mr.  Scott  and  Mr.  Hayward  were  sent  upon  this 
errand.  They  landed  in  Tahiti,  and  slept  that  night 
in  one  of  the  native  houses.  Early  in  the  morning 
they  rose,  and  each  went  to  look  for  some  retired 
place  among  the  bushes  where  he  might  pray.  While 
Mr.  Scott  was  alone,  he  heard  a  voice  ;  it  seemed  the 
voice  of  prayer  ;  he  drew  nearer  to  the  place  whence 
it  came,  and  heard  a  Tahitian  blessing  the  true  God. 
It  was  the  first  time  he  had  ever  heard  such  words 
from  a  Tahitian's  lips.  Tears  of  joy  rolled  down  his 
cheeks,  and  he  longed  to  clasp  the  Christian  man  to 
his  heart ;  but  he  waited  in  silence  till  the  man  left 
the  spot,  and. then  he  knelt  down,  and  thanked  God 
fervently  for  having  bestowed  his  Spirit  upon  the 
poor  heathen.  Mr.  Scott  returned  to  the  house,  and 
there  met  his  friend  Mr.  Hayward,  whom  he  in- 
formed of  the  joyful  event.  They  inquired  amongst 


THE    PRAYING   TAHITIANS.  107 

the  natives  for  the  man  who  had  left  off  worshipping 
idols,  and  were  told  of  one  named  0-i-to,  who  had 
done  so.  They  sought  for  him,  and  heard  his  own 
account  of  himself.  Oito  had  once  been  a  servant 
to  the  missionaries,  when  they  had  lived  in  Tahiti, 
but  he  had  not  then  believed ;  lately  he  had  been 
struck  with  some  remarks  the  king  had  made,  and 
longing  for  instruction,  he  had  gone  to  a  man  called 
Tu-a-hi-ne,  who  had  been  servant  to  the  missionaries 
for  many  years,  and  he  had  asked  him  to  teach  him. 
Tuahine  was  in  the  same  state  of  mind  as  Oito. 
These  two  often  met  to  pray  together,  and  to  con- 
verse, amongst  the  lonely  places  in  the  mountain. 
The  change  in  their  behavior  was  soon  observed  by 
their  countrymen.  Some  ridiculed  them ;  a  few, 
however,  joined  their  little  prayer-meetings,  and 
agreed  to  give  up  worshipping  idols,  and  all  evil 
customs,  and  to  keep  the  Sabbath-day.  Such  was 
the  account  that  Oito  gave  of  himself  to  the  mis- 
sionaries. 

Mr.  Scott  immediately  wrote  a  letter  to  inform  the 
brethren  in  Eimeo  of  these  happy  events.  When 
the  brethren  read  the  letter,  they  shed  tears  of  grate- 
ful joy.  They  felt  now  that  they  were  rewarded  for 
sixteen  years  of  toil,  and  watching,  and  alarm ;  for 
God  had  granted  to  the  Gentiles  repentance  unto 
life. 

Mr.  Scott  and  Mr.  Hay  ward  went  round  the  island 


108  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

of  Tahiti,  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  then  invited 
Oito  and  Tuahine,  and  their  praying  companions,  to 
return  with  them  to  Eimeo,  to  receive  instruction  at 
school,  and  at  chapel.  These  Christian  natives  were 
glad  to  accept  the  invitation,  especially  as  Tahiti 
was  at  this  time  in  a  state  of  great  confusion  arid 
wickedness.  You  may  imagine  how  affectionately 
these  people  were  received  by  the  brethren  in 
Eimeo. 

The  missionaries  knew  that  there  were  many 
people  in  Eimeo  desirous  of  serving  the  true  God, 
and  they  were  anxious  to  discover  who  they  were, 
that  they  might  instruct  and  watch  over  them.  I 
will  now  relate  the  plan  they  adopted  for  this 
purpose. 

The  chapel  that  Pomare  had  desired  to  be  built, 
was  opened  for  public  worship  on  July  25th,  1813, 
just  one  year  after  Pomare's  order  had  been  given 
The  king  himself  was  not  there  at  the  opening,  as  he 
was  still  at  Tahiti.  When  the  evening  service  was 
just  over,  Mr.  Davies  invited  all  persons  who  sin- 
cerely desired  to  cast  away  their  idols,  to  come  to 
the  chapel  the  next  evening,  that  he  might  write 
down  their  names  in  a  book.  About  forty  attended 
at  the  time  appointed.  The  brethren  prayed  and 
sung,  and  Mr.  Nott  gave  a  short  address,  and  asked 
all  to  come  forward  who  really  desired  to  serve  the 
true  God  alone.  Thirty-one  consented  to  have  their 


ILLNESS    OF    THE    BRETHREN.  109 

names  written  down  ;  amongst  these  were  Oito  and 
Tuahine.  The  brethren  invited  this  little  company 
to  meet  them  often  in  the  chapel  to  be  instructed 
privately. 

One  of  them  named  Mu-i,  was  soon  called  to  his 
rest.  This  poor  youth  had  shown  great  love  for  the 
word  of  God  and  prayer,  and  had  crept  to  the  bushes, 
to  pray  in  secret,  as  long  as  he  had  strength.  When 
confined  to  his  hut,  he  would  say,  as  the  people 
passed  by  on  their  way  to  school  or  chapel,  "My  feet 
cannot  go,  but  my  heart  goes  with  you." 

About  the  same  time  a  person  of  a  very  different 
character  died.  This  was  Idia.  She  had  always 
been  a  bitter  enemy  to  Christ,  and  had  even  pre- 
vented others  from  confessing  their  belief  in  him. 
Several  persons  who  had  been  afraid  of  declaring 
they  were  Christians  in  her  lifetime,  did  so  as  soon 
as  she  was  dead.  It  is  true,  she  had  been  kind  to 
the  missionaries,  but  not  for  their  Master's  sake. 

The  missionaries  suffered  much  from  illness,  espe- 
cially from  swellings  in  their  limbs,  and  from  bilious 
attacks.  Sometimes  almost  all  of  them  were  ill  at 
the  same  time,  and  unable  to  preach.  The  Christian 
natives  lamented  their  teachers'  illness,  with  tears  in 
their  eyes,  saying,  "Alas,  what  will  become  of  us,  if 
you  die  ?"  The  brethren  themselves  feared  that 
some  of  their  lives  would  soon  be  cut  short,  and  they 
wrote  letters  to  England,  entreating  that  more  mis- 


110  THE   NIGHT  OF    TOIL. 

sionaries  might  be  sent  to  their  help ;  yet  in  all  their 
weakness  they  had  much  to  rejoice  in. 

They  observed  with  delight  that  the  people  they 
instructed  prayed  daily,  both  in  their  families  and 
secretly  amongst  the  bushes,  and  constantly  asked 
a  blessing  upon  their  food.  For  these  habits,  the 
Christians  were  much  ridiculed  by  the  heathen,  and 
called  uBu-re  A-tu-a,"  or  praying  people.  This  was 
an  honorable  title,  but  it  was  meant  as  a  reproach. 
In  all  countries,  the  people  of  God  are  mocked  by  the 
ungodly.  In  England  and  the  United  States,  they 
are  often  called  "saints,  methodists,  evangelical," 
and  many  other  names  ;  but  such  reproaches  are  an 
honor  indeed ;  for  Christ  himself  was  even  called 
"Beelzebub,  or  the  devil."  Matt.  12  :  24. 

There  were  many  persons  from  other  islands  as- 
sembled in  Eimeo  at  this  time,  and  some  of  them 
were  anxious  to  be  instructed  by  the  missionaries, 
and  came  and  dwelt  near  them.  They  had  come  to 
Eimeo  to  assist  Pomare  in  his  wars ;  but  God,  in  his 
wisdom,  had  brought  them  there  that  they  might 
carry  back  the  peaceful  tidings  of  salvation  to  their 
own  countries.  During  this  year,  some  of  them 
returned  to  Raiatea  and  Huahiiie,  whence  they 
came. 

Mr.  Nott  and  Mr.  Hayward  went  to  visit  these 
islands  in  a  ship  that  touched  at  Eimeo,  and  found 
the  people  ready  to  assemble  to  hear  them  of  their 


CONDUCT   OF    THE  KING.  Ill 

own  accord,  and  full  of  contempt  for  their  idols,  call- 
ing them  bad  and  foolish  gods.  At  the  end  of  two 
months,  the  two  brethren  returned  with  the  joyful 
account  to  Eimeo.  Some  of  the  missionaries  would 
gladly  have  gone  to  live  in  the  neighboring  islands, 
but  they  were  obliged  to  keep  together  to  finish  the 
ship.  They  were  also  so  frequently  ill,  that  they 
were  afraid  of  separating  from  each  other.  . 

The  missionaries  were  anxious  to  baptize  those 
people  in  Eimeo  who  appeared  truly  converted.  But 
as  Pomare  was  the  first  who  had  asked  to  be  bap- 
tized, they  thought  it  proper  to  write  to  him  on  the 
subject.  They  had  been  grieved  by  hearing  bad 
accounts  of  his  conduct,  especially  of  his  drinking  too 
much,  a  sin  to  which  he  had  always  been  much  in- 
clined. In  their  letter  to  him,  they  begged  him  to 
consider  his  own  case,  and  whether  he  was  in  a  fit 
state  for  baptism. 

Pomare  wrote  to  them  in  answer,  that  he  should 
soon  return  to  Eimeo,  and  that  he  did  not  wish  any 
persons  to  be  baptized  before  he  came,  arid  recom- 
mended the  brethren  to  wait  to  see  whether  the 
people  were  sincere  in  their  religion. 

The  brethren,  however,  were  not  so  fearful  of  any 
of  the  people  having  deceived  themselves,  as  they 
were  of  Pomare  himself. 

It  was  selfish  in  Pomare  to  wish  to  make  the  peo- 
ple wait  to  be  baptized,  till  he  should  return ;  but 


112  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

he  seemed  to  have  a  proud  desire  to  be  the  first  to 
be  baptized,  and  perhaps  it  was  not  right  in  the 
brethren  to  grant  his  desire. 

After  an  absence  of  two  years,  the  king  returned 
to  Eimeo ;  but  when  he  came,  though  he  expressed 
a  strong  desire  to  be  baptized,  the  brethren  felt  too 
much  dissatisfied  with  him,  to  comply  with  his  re- 
quest ;  yet  they  did  not  baptize  any  of  his  people. 
He  still  continued  firmly  resolved  to  be  a  Christian 
in  name,  but  alas,  he  did  not  appear  to  possess  a  re- 
newed heart. 


CONVERSION  OF  A   PRIEST.  113 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

HOW   THE    IDOLS   WERE   PUBLICLY   INSULTED. 

THE  people  in  Eimeo  grew  more  and  more  anxious 
for  instruction.  There  were  now  above  three  hun- 
dred names  written  down,  and  three  hundred  schol- 
ars, chiefly  grown  up  people,  who  attended  the 
schools  every  day. 

At  this  time  a  very  striking  conversion  took  place, 
which  shook  exceedingly  the  power  of  Satan  among 
the  heathen. 

One  evening  Mr.  Nott,  after  preaching  at  the  tents 
of  one  of  the  great  chiefs  who  had  visited  Eimeo, 
was  returning  home  by  the  sea-shore,  when  a  priest 
called  Pa-ti-i,  followed  him.  He  had  listened  to  Mr. 
Nott's  sermon,  and  now  seemed  anxious  to  converse 
with  him.  Mr.  Nott  was  astonished  to  hear  him 
say,  "  To-morrow  evening  I  shall  burn  the  idols  un- 
der my  care." 

Mr.  Nott  replied,  "  I  fear  you  are  jesting  with  me : 
you  know  we  wish  you  to  burn  them;  but  do  you 
really  intend  to  do  so  ?  I  can  scarcely  believe  what 
you  say." 

"  Don't  be  unbelieving,"  replied  Patii ;  "  wait  till 
to-morrow,  and  you  shall  see."  The  rest  of  the  way, 
Mr.  Nott  and  Patii  conversed  only  about  Jesus  Christ 
and  his  salvation. 

Night  of  ToU. 


114  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

When  Mr.  !Nbtt  told  his  brethren  what  Patii  had 
said,  they  wondered  whether  he  would  keep  his  word, 
and  feared  that  if  he  did,  the  people  would  be  much 
enraged  by  his  burning  their  honored  idols. 

The  next  morning  Patii  and  his  friends  were  col- 
lecting wood  near  the  sea-shore ;  in  the  afternoon 
they  were  splitting  it,  and  making  a  great  pile  near 
the  idols'  temple. 

A  great  number  of  the  heathen,  as  well  as  the 
missionaries  and  their  friends,  assembled  at  the  place 
in  the  evening.  Just  before  the  setting  of  the  sun, 
Patii  appeared  and  ordered  his  servants  to  set  lire  to 
the  pile  of  wood.  He  then  went  to  the  idols'  house, 
and  brought  the  gods  out,  one  at  a  time,  as  he  had 
often  done  before.  But  he  did  not  now  praise  them 
as  in  former  times,  but  after  spreading  them  in  a  row 
upon  the  ground,  he  tore  off  the  cloths  which  covered 
them,  stripped  them  of  their  ornaments,  and  then 
threw  them  one  by  one  into  the  flames ;  and  as  he 
threw  each,  he  pronounced  its  name,  and  repeated  its 
foolish  history,  calling  upon  the  people  to  observe 
what  a  helpless  log  it  was.  Never  had  the  sun  set 
upon  a  more  joyous  sight,  than  upon  those  expiring 
flames,  which  had  consumed  the  chief  idols  of  Eimeo. 

The  heathen  returned  home,  astonished  at  whal 
they  had  seen.  Some  expected  that  the  gods  would 
fioon  show  their  anger,  while  others  doubted  more 
than  ever  whether  the  gods  had  any  power  at  all, 


CONTEMPT    FOR    IDOLS.  115 

and  began  to  burn  their  idols  and  to  destroy  their 
temples.  Patii  himself  from  this  time  diligently 
listened  to  the  missionaries,  and  walked  worthy  of 
the  blessed  Gospel  of  Christ. 

The  queen's  sister,  about  the  same  time,  publicly 
showed  her  contempt  for  idols.  She  had  arrived  the 
year  before  at  Eimeo,  accompanied  by  a  great  train 
of  servants.  Amongst  them  was  a  man  called  Fa- 
refau,  who  became  a  Christian,  had  his  name  written 
down,  and  attended  the  school. 

This  spring  the  chiefs  of  Eimeo  sent,  according  to 
the  custom,  a  large  present  of  pigs,  and  fruit,  as  a 
feast  for  the  princess.  Before  the  feast  was  given, 
the  princess,  who  was  herself  inclined  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian, consulted  the  king  and  her  other  friends  on. the 
subject.  She  wished  to  prevent  the  ears  of  a  pig,  or 
the  head  of  a  fish,  being  taken  to  the  marae,  as  an 
offering  to  the  gods ;  for  she  desired  the  food  to  be 
sanctified  by  the  true  God.  It  was  determined  that 
some  person  should  oiler  a  prayer  to  this  God  over 
the  food,  before  it  was  eaten.  It  required  great  cour- 
age to  offer  such  a  prayer  before  the  idolaters.  Fare- 
fau,  however,  undertook  to  do  it,  and  kept  his  word. 

The  priests,  who  were  waiting  near,  ready  to  carry 
the  food  to  the  marae,  were  enraged ;  but  yet  they 
durst  not  take  it  there,  after  it  had  been  offered  to 
the  Christians'  God. 

Soon  afterwards  the  queen's  sister  went  over  to 


116  THE    NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

Tahiti,  accompanied  by  the  queen  herself.  Pomare 
gave  them  a  book  to  convey  to  his  little  girl,  who 
was  now  three  years  old,  and  who  was  residing  at 
Tahiti  with  her  nurse. 

When  the  idolaters  in  Tahiti  heard  that  the  king 
had  sent  a  book  to  his  little  daughter,  they  saw  that 
he  intended  to  bring  her  up  in  the  new  religion,  and 
they  were  more  determined  than  ever,  not  to  let  Po- 
mare be  king. 

The  chiefs,  as  usual,  gave  a  feast  to  the  queen  and 
her  sister  on  her  arrival  in  Tahiti.  Some  of  the 
priests,  observing  that  these  ladies  despised  their 
gods,  began  to  speak  to  them  in  an  insulting  manner, 
and  to  threaten  them  with  the  anger  of  the  beings 
they  despised,  and,  at  the  same  time,  pointed  to  some 
bunches  of  red  feathers,  which  were  hanging  near, 
and  which  were  intended  to  represent  their  gods. 

Farefau,  hearing  these  speeches,  exclaimed,  "  Are 
these  feathers  the  mighty  things  with  whose  anger 
you  threaten  us  ?  I  will  soon  settle  the  affair."  He 
instantly  seized  hold  of  them,  and  threw  them  into 
an  oven,  which  was  dug  near,  and  thus  destroyed 
them. 

This  act  was  perhaps  unwise.  The  idolaters  were 
exceedingly  provoked  by  it,  and  though  they  durst 
not  revenge  themselves  on  the  spot,  they  waited  for 
an  opportunity  to  do  so. 

While  the  queen  and  her  sister  were  in  Tahiti, 


POMARE'S    ZEAL.  117 

Pomare  set  out  upon  a  journey  round  Eimeo,  for  the 
purpose  of  persuading  the  heathen,  wherever  he  went, 
to  turn  from  idols.  It  may  surprise  you,  after  what 
you  have  heard  of  Pomare,  to  find  that  he  could  take 
so  much  pains  in  God's  service.  The  missionaries 
also  were  perplexed  by  him  :  sometimes  they  hoped 
he  was  a  child  of  God,  and  sometimes  they  feared  he 
was  a  child  of  the  devil. 

During  the  journey  he  wrote  to  the  missionaries. 
In  his  letter,  he  said, 

"  I  am  highly  pleased,  that  the  chief  people  attend 
so  well  to  the  word  of  God.  This  was  my  business 
in  this  journey,  to  make  known  to  them  the  word 
of  God ;  and,  behold,  they  have  listened  unto  it ; 
they  have  regarded  it.  Had  it  been  otherwise,  I 
should  have  been  much  grieved.  To-morrow  is  our 
meeting  for  prayer ;  the  beginning  of  the  new  month. 
Should  these  even  ask  me  to  write  down  their  names, 
how  ought  I  to  act  ?  Shall  I  write  them  ?  "Write 
your  mind  to  me  without  delay,  and  give  me  instruc- 
tions how  to  do.  May  you  be  blessed  of  God. 

"POMARE,  KING." 

This  letter  would  have  given  the  missionaries  much 
comfort,  had  not  some  parts  of  Pomare' s  conduct 
alarmed  them. 

While  the  word  of  God  was  taking  root  in  some 
hearts,  sin  raged  more  violently  in  those  of  others, 


118  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

The  rebelh^us  Tahitians  had  committed  dreadful 
deeds  for  a  long  while  past.  They  had  seized  an 
English  vessel,  had  murdered  some  on  board,  and 
had  attempted  to  seize  other  vessels  ;  they  had  per- 
secuted the  Christian  natives,  burnt  one  of  their 
houses  of  worship,  and  hunted  them  as  sacrifices  for 
Oro.  It  was  considered  dangerous  to  be  known  as  a 
Christian.  Some  indeed  were  brave  enough  to  wor- 
ship God  openly ;  but  others,  like  Nicodemns,  were 
afraid  to  confess  Christ,  and  only  met  together  for 
prayer  at  midnight,  in  the  thick  woods  and  lonely 
valleys. 

Amongst  those  who  suffered  for  the  sake  of  Christ, 
was  a  young  man,  whose  affecting  history  I  will  now 
relate. 

When  he  became  a  Christian,  his  relations  laughed 
at  him ;  then  they  made  him  flattering  promises,  on 
condition  he  would  again  worship  their  gods ;  and 
last  of  all,  they  threatened  him,  and  cast  him  out  of 
his  father's  house.  After  he  was  become  an  outcast, 
his  enemies  fixed  upon  him  for  a  sacrifice  to  their 
idols.  They  went  in  search  of  him,  and  found  him 
sitting  beneath  some  trees  at  the  top  of  a  hill  near 
his  little  dwelling.  He  had  retired  to  that  quiet  spot 
to  meditate  upon  God,  before  he  offered  up  his  even- 
ing prayer. 

He  saw  a  crowd  of  servants  of  the  priests  and 
chiefs  approaching — as  once  in  Gethsemane,  our  Sav- 


THE    HAPPY   ESCAPE.  119 

iour  had  beheld  Judas  and  his  enemies.  Suddenly 
the  young  man  guessed  the  purpose  for  which  they 
were  come. ',  When  they  came  near,  they  told  him 
the  king  was  arrived  and  wished  to  see  him ;  he 
calmly  replied,  that  he  did  not  believe  the  king  was 
come.  They  then  told  him  some  of  his  friends  wished 
to  see  him.  But  he  answered,  "  Why  do  you  seek 
to  deceive  me  ?  I  know  that  a  man  is  soon  to  be 
offered  to  the  idols,  and  I  know  that  I  am  to  be  that 
man.  But  Jesus  Christ  is  my  keeper.  You  may  be 
permitted  to  kill  my  body,  but  I  am  not  afraid  to  die. 
My  soul  you  cannot  hurt ;  Jesus  Christ  will  keep  it 
safely." 

His  enemies,  finding  that  they  could  not  persuade 
him  to  come  down  with  them  to  the  sea-shore,  where 
a  canoe  was  waiting,  rushed  upon  him,  and  killed 
him  ;  then,  putting  his  body  into  a  basket  of  cocoa- 
nut  leaves,  carried  him  in  the  canoe  to  the  temple. 

Some  time  afterwards,  the  rebels  in  Tahiti  fixed 
apon  a  young  man  named  Aberahama,  as  a  sacrifice. 
He  was  chosen  because  he  was  a  Christian.  When 
he  saw  the  priest's  servants  approaching,  he  fled ; 
but  was  pursued  by  them,  shot  at,  and  wounded.  As 
soon  as  he  received  the  ball,  he  fell ;  and  unable  any 
longer  to  run,  he  crawled  among  some  bushes,  and 
hid  himself.  His  enemies  endeavored  to  discover  the 
place  of  his  concealment ;  they  came  very  near  him 
several  times  ;  but  could  not  succeed  in  finding  him, 


120  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

and  at  last  went  away  disappointed.  When  they 
were  gone,  and  night  was  come,  Aherahama  crept 
out  of  his  hiding-place  to  the  house  of  his  friends, 
who  dressed  his  wound  and  carried  him  to  a  place 
of  safety.  He  recovered  from  his  wound,  but  never 
lost  the  honorable  scar,  which  showed  that  he  had 
endangered  his  life  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  even  of 
that  Saviour  who  is  now  seen  in  heaven,  like  a  lamb 
as  it  had  been  slain. 


FAILURE    OF  THE   PLOT  121 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    BATTLE   WHICH    CHANGED    THE    STATE  OF    TAHITI. 

THE  year  1815  was  the  most  remarkable  that  had 
ever  been  known  in  Tahiti.  I  am  now  going  to 
relate  the  great  events  that  occurred  in  it. 

You  have  already  heard  how  much  the  heathen 
in  Tahiti  hated  the  Christian  natives.  At  length 
some  of  them  determined  to  destroy  them  entirely. 
Many  of  the  heathen  chiefs,  who  had  before  been 
at  enmity  with  each  other,  joined  together  in  this 
scheme. 

They  fixed  upon  the  night  of  July  7th,  when  they 
heard  the  Christians  would  be  assembled  together, 
probably  for  prayer,  near  the  sea-shore. 

The  Christians  came  together  as  was  expected; 
but  they  were  secretly  informed  of  the  plan  their 
enemies  had  made,  and  immediately  jumped  into 
their  canoes  and  sailed  for  Eimeo,  where  they  ar- 
rived next  morning.  The  heathen  chiefs  assembled 
at  the  place  appointed  soon  after  the  Christians  had 
escaped,  and  were  enraged  at  not  finding  them.  As 
these  chiefs  had  been  enemies  formerly,  they  soon 
began  to  quarrel  among  themselves.  The  greater 
part  turned  against  those  who  had  first  proposed  the 
slaughter  of  the  Christians,  and  destroyed  many  of 


122  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

them.  Thus  God  showed  his  anger  against  wicked- 
ness, "by  causing  the  wicked  to  fall  into  the  pit  which 
he  had  digged. 

The  missionaries  in  Eimeo  of  course  received  with 
affection  the  poor  Christians  who  fled  to  them  for 
protection.  "When  they  heard  what  had  happened, 
they  felt  much  alarm  lest  the  heathen  should  at 
length  rise  up  in  hoth  islands,  and  destroy  all  the 
worshippers  of  Jehovah.  They  set  apart  the  14th 
of  July  as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  to  heseech 
the  Lord  to  turn  the  hearts  of  their  enemies.  They 
had  often  set  apart  days  in  former  times  to  pray  for 
the  conversion  of  the  heathen,  and  then  they  had 
prayed  alone,  hut  now  hundreds  of  native  Christians 
joined  in  their  prayers. 

Their  God  soon  showed  them  his  ear  was  not 
heavy  that  he  could  not  hear,  nor  his  arm  short  that 
it  could  not  save. 

Soon  afterwards  two  chiefs  from  Tahiti  arrived  in 
Eimeo.  They  came  to  invite  the  Christian  chiefs 
who  had  fled  to  return  to  their  land's. 

It  was  necessary  the  king  should  return  with  tho 
Christians,  that  he  might  make  good  their  right  to 
their  lands,  according  to  the  ancient  customs.  The 
king,  therefore,  set  out  with  them  and  their  servants, 
accompanied  also  hy  many  Christians  from  other 
islands.  They  knew  that  they  had  numerous  enemies 
in  Tahiti,  and  therefore  they  were  prepared  for  war. 


REMARKABLE    DREAM.  123 

"When  they  arrived  in  their  canoes  at  the  shores 
of  Tahiti,  they  saw  on  the  beach  a  great  number  of 
people  with  spears  and  guns,  who  forbade  them  to 
land,  and  fired  on  them  several  times.  The  king 
did  not  fire  on  them  in  return,  but  sent  a  flag  on 
shore  with  an  offer  of  peace.  At  length  the  people 
allowed  them  to  land,  and  appeared  inclined  to  be 
peaceable ;  so  that  many  of  the  chiefs  returned 
quietly  to  their  own  lands.  But  though  the  heathen 
appeared  friendly,  they  were  forming  plans  for  de- 
stroying the  king  and  his  friends.  The  king  sus- 
pected their  wicked  intentions,  and  kept  a  constant 
watch  over  their  proceedings. 

One  of  the  king's  chief  enemies  was  a  man  called 
U-pu-fa-ra.  He  had  often  heard  of  the  true  God, 
but  would  not  believe  in  him.  One  night  he  had  a 
dream,  in  which  he  saw  an  immense  oven,  with  a 
very  great  fire,  and  in  the  midst  of  it  a  large  fish 
twisting  itself  in  agony,  and  trying  to  get  out ;  and 
though  in  the  fire,  not  consumed,  but  still  living. 
He  awoke  much  alarmed,  and  could  not  sleep  again 
that  night ;  nor  could  he  forget  what  he  had  seen, 
but  thought  that  perhaps  the  dream  had  been  sent 
to  show  him  what  he  should  suffer  for  his  sins  in 
hell. 

Seeing  his  friends  resolved  to  fight  against  Pomare, 
he  said  to  one  of  them,  "  Perhaps  we  are  wrong :  let 
us  send  a  message  to  the  king,  and  propose  to  make 


124  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

peace  ;  and  ask  for  books,  that  we  may  know  what 
this  new  word  is."  The  priests,  however,  persuaded 
him  to  fight,  assuring  him  that  Oro  would  deliver 
the  praying  people  into  his  hands.  0  why  did  Upu- 
fara  listen  to  their  deceitful  counsels,  and  resist  the 
good  desires  that  had  sprung  up  in  his  heart  ?  Who 
ever  hardened  himself  against  G-od  and  prospered  ? 

Two  days  afterwards  he  led  the  people  to  battle 
against  Pomare.  The  day  of  the  battle  was  the 
Sabbath,  Nov.  12,  1815. 

Pomare  and  his  friends  did  not  know  that  they 
should  be  attacked  by  their  enemies  on  that  day,  but 
they  knew  it  was  very  probable  that  they  should  be 
assailed  on  some  Sabbath,  when  they  were  engaged 
in  God's  worship  ;  and  therefore  they  had  appointed 
men  to  watch  outside  the  chapel  while  they  were 
assembled  in  it,  and  had  desired  these  men  to  fire  if 
they  saw  the  enemy  approaching. 

Early  on  the  Sabbath  morning,  Pomare  and  eight 
hundred  persons,  some  of  whom  were  armed  with 
spears  and  guns,  were  collected  in  the  chapel  in  Bu- 
na-a-u-ia.  They  were  just  going  to  begin  service, 
when  they  heard  the  sound  of  their  watchmen's 
guns.  They  looked  out  and  perceived  an  army  at  a 
distance,  carrying  before  them  the  flags  in  honor  of 
the  idols. 

"  It  is  war,  it  is  war,"  the  Christians  exclaimed. 
Some  of  them  were  hastening  to  their  tents  for  arms, 


THE    CHRISTIANS    ATTACKED.  125 

when  Pomare  arose  and  requested  them  to  remain 
quietly  in  their  places,  assuring  them  that  God 
would  protect  them  during  his  own  worship,  which 
ought  on  no  account  to  be  forsaken.  A  hymn  was 
then  read  by  one  of  the  company,  and  sung  by  the 
congregation  :  a  portion  of  Scripture  was  next  read, 
and  a  prayer  was  offered.  The  service  being  thus 
finished,  those  who  were  unarmed  went  to  their  tents 
to  procure  weapons. 

The  battle  was  fought  on  the  sand  of  the  sea- 
shore, and  among  the  trees  that  grew  close  to  it. 
Many  of  Pomare's  army  had  not  yet  become  Chris- 
tians ;  these  were  not  placed  in  the  front,  as  they 
could  not  be  so  well  trusted  as  the  Christians,  who 
even  requested  to  occupy  that  situation.  Among  the 
warriors  was  the  queen's  sister,  Pomare  Yahine,  a 
tall,  strong  woman,  who  wore  a  sort  of  net  of  cords 
for  armor,  and  held  a  gun  and  «pear.  On  one  side 
of  her  fought  Farefau,  her  bold  Christian  servant. 
Pomare  himself  sat  in  a  canoe,  and  shot  at  the  enemy. 

The  heathen  rushed  upon  Pomare's  army  with 
furious  courage,  having  been  assured  by  their  priests, 
that  their  gods  would  give  them  the  victory.  But 
the  Christians  looked  up  to  their  God  for  help,  and 
often  knelt,  during  the  battle,  upon  the  grass,  either 
alone,  or  two  or  three  together,  and  offered  up  a  short 
prayer. 

Several  were  killed  on  both   sides.     At  length 


126  THE   NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

Upufara,  the  chief  captain  of  the  heathen,  was  shot, 
and  fell.  As  he  sat  gasping  on  the  sand,  his  friends 
gathered  round  him,  and  endeavored  to  stop  the 
bleeding  of  the  wound.  "  Leave  me,"  said  the  dying 
warrior.  "  Mark  yonder  young  man ;  he  inflicted 
the  wound;  on  him  revenge  my  death."  Thus, 
breathing  vengeance,  Upufara  expired.  Two  or 
three  strong  men  ran  towards  the  man  who  had 
shot  their  captain ;  one  of  them  overtook  him,  and 
sprang  upon  him  before  he  was  aware ;  but,  as  he 
was  endeavoring  to  strangle  him,  was  himself  slain 
by  the  same  gun  that  had  destroyed  Upufara,  and 
which  the  man  still  held  in  his  hand. 

The  news  of  Upufara's  death  greatly  discouraged 
the  heathen  army,  who  were  at  last  obliged  to  flee 
to  the  rocks  and  mountains  for  shelter.  The  king's 
soldiers  were  going  to  pursue  them  as  in  former 
times,  but  Pomare  approached,  and  cried  out,  "A-ti- 
ra,"  or  "  It  is  enough.  Pursue  none  that  have  fled 
from  the  battle,  neither  burn  their  houses,  nor  mur- 
der their  children."  You  know  what  cruelties  were 
practised  by  the  heathen  on  their  conquered  enemies. 
How  great  a  change  had  God  wrought  in  Pomare' s 
once  cruel  heart.  Even  the  bodies  of  the  enemy, 
instead  of  being  left  upon  the  shore  for  dogs  and 
swine  to  devour,  were  properly  buried,  and  the  body 
of  Upufara  was  carried  to  the  place  where  his  fathers 
lay  in  their  tombs. 


ORO'S    TEMPLE    OVERTHROWN.  127 

Instead  of  ending  the  day  in  slaughter,  Pomare 
assembled  his  little  army  to  thank  God  for  their 
great  deliverance.  How  much  had  depended  upon 
the  battle  fought  this  day.  Had  Pomare  been  con- 
quered, all  the  Christians  would  have  been  cruelly 
killed  or  made  slaves,  and  the  idol  gods  would  have 
been  honored  as  in  former  days.  But  now  G-od  was 
praised  by  his  servants,  and  even  by  many  who  had 
never  before  worshipped  him,  and  who  joined  in  the 
praises  of  that  evening. 

Instead  of  killing  his  enemies,  Pomare  determined 
to  destroy  their  idols.  He  sent  a  band  of  men  to  the 
temple  of  Oro  to  overthrow  it.  Before  they  set  out, 
he  said  to  them,  "  Go  not  to  the  little  islands,  where 
the  women  and  children  of  the  enemy  have  been 
sent  for  safety  ;  turn  not  aside  to  burn  houses,  nor  to 
destroy  groves,  but  go  straight  along  the  highway." 
The  men  obeyed.  When  they  arrived  at  Oro's  tem- 
ple in  Taiarabu,  they  were  afraid  lest  the  people 
should  be  enraged  at  an  attempt  to  insult  their  god, 
and  should  attack  them  ;  however,  they  were  not 
prevented  by  these  fears  from  acting  in  a  very  coura- 
geous manner.  They  began  by  firing  into  the  small 
house  where  the  idols  were  kept,  saying,  '  *  Now,  ye 
gods,  if  ye  be  gods,  and  have  any  power,  come  forth, 
and  avenge  the  insults  which  we  offer  you."  The 
multitude  stood  around,  astonished  both  at  the  bold 
ness  of  the  men,  and  at  the  helplessness  of  the  idols 


128  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

The  bouse  was  soon  afterwards  pulled  down,  and  the 
gods  shot  through  and  through,  and  cast  into  the 
fire.  Oro  himself  was  not  destroyed  ;  only  his  cover- 
ing and  ornaments  were  thrown  into  the  flames. 
He  was  merely  a  piece  of  wood  rather  longer  than 
a  man,  and  about  the  thickness  of  a  man's  leg.  This 
senseless  god  was  carried  to  Pomare,  and  laid  at  his 
feet. 

And  what  use  do  you  think  the  king  made  of  Oro  ? 
He  set  it  up  as  a  post  in  his  kitchen,  fixing  pegs  upon 
it,  on  which  baskets  for  food  were  hung,  and  after  a 
time  he  used  it  as  fuel.  This  was  the  end  of  Oro, 
about  whom  the  Tahitians  had  fought  so  fiercely  for 
many  years.  Thus  may  all  God's  enemies  perish. 

The  people  who  had  fled  to  the  mountains,  sent 
persons  secretly  in  the  night,  to  see  whether  their 
wives  and  children  had  been  hurt.  They  were  as- 
tonished to  hear  that  they  were  safe,  and  that  the 
king  and  his  friends  promised  to  pardon  all  their  ene- 
mies. At  first  they  could  not  believe  the  news. 
After  a  few  days  they  ventured  to  leave  the  moun- 
tains ;  and  when  they  found  that  neither  their  houses 
nor  families  had  been  injured,  they  readily  went  to 
entreat  the  king's  pardon,  and  to  promise  obedience 
for  the  future.  They  now  saw  how  good  the  God 
was  that  Pomare  worshipped,  a  God  who  taught 
him  to  be  merciful  to  his  enemies.  "We  had  done 
every  thing  to  offend  the  king,"  said  they ;  "  and  yet. 


THE  TRIUMPH    OF   MERCY.  1Q9 

when  lie  was  able  to  destroy  us,  he  freely  forgave  us." 
They  had  often  heard  before  that  God  so  loved  his 
enemies,  as  to  give  his  Son  to  die  for  them,  but  now 
they  believed  it. 

As  soon  as  possible  after  the  battle,  Pomare  sent 
to  inform  the  missionaries  in  Eimeo  of  his  success. 
A  man  who  had  been  a  chief  priest  and  an  areoi, 
was  the  bearer  of  the  message.  The  missionaries 
and  their  scholars  saw  the  canoe  approaching,  and 
hastened  to  the  beach  ;  but  before  they  could  ask  a 
single  question,  the  messenger  exclaimed,  "  Con- 
quered, conquered — by  prayer  alone ;"  and  then, 
with  his  spear  in  his  hand,  sprang  upon  the  shore. 

The  missionaries  at  first  could  scarcely  believe  the 
news  for  joy,  but  soon  they  assembled  to  render  thanks 
to  God,  both  for  delivering  them  from  the  heathen, 
and  for  overthrowing  the  idol  gods. 


'     ;.'"  V     ' 


130  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOIL 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   WILDERNESS   TURNED   INTO   A   GARDEN. 

IT  might  naturally  be  expected  that  some  of  the 
brethren  would  now  remove  to  Tahiti,  to  dwell  there  / 
and  it  was  their  wish  to  remove,  but  they  were  still 
engaged  in  building  a  ship.  "When  they  had  begun 
to  build  this  ship,  they  could  scarcely  induce  people 
to  hear  them  ;  therefore  they  had  not  then  so  much 
work  to  do  for  souls,  as  they  now  had.  They  had 
intended  to  use  the  ship  in  going  from  island  to 
island,  both  to  preach,  and  to  get  pearls  or  pigs,  to 
exchange  with  English  ships,  that  they  might  not 
require  so  much  money  from  the  Christians  in  Eng- 
land. They  were  now  sorry  that  they  had  ever  be- 
gun it. 

But  though  the  brethren  were  not  able  yet  to  set- 
tle in  Tahiti,  they  were  anxious  to  visit  it,  and  to 
behold  the  wonderful  change  that  God  had  wrought 
there.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Nott  and  Mr.  Hay  ward 
went  very  soon  to  Tahiti,  and  travelled  round  the 
island,  preaching  to  large  congregations  on  their  way. 
They  found  the  people  busy  in  destroying  maraes, 
and  in  building  little  chapels.  In  these  chapels,  the 
natives  were  accustomed  to  meet  together  three 
times  on  the  Sabbath,  and  once  in  the  week.  As 
the  natives  in  general  were  not  able  to  preach,  they 


POMARE'S    PRAYER.  131 

usually  only  prayed  at  their  meetings,  and  read  parts 
of  the  little  hooks  which  had  lately  heen  printed, 
and  which  contained  passages  from  Scripture.  At 
these  meetings  they  sometimes  read  prayers,  which 
they  had  first  written  down.  Pomare  had  written  a 
prayer,  which  he  often  read  himself  in  the  chapels. 

You  will  no  doubt  like  to  see  a  translation  of  thia 
prayer. 

"Jehovah,  thou  God  of  our  salvation,  hear  our 
prayers,  pardon  thou  our  sins,  and  save  our  souls. 

"  Our  sins  are  great,  and  more  in  number  than  the 
fishes  in  the  sea,  and  our  obstinacy  has  been  very 
great,  and  not  to  be  equalled.  Turn  thou  us  to  thy- 
self, and  enable  us  to  cast  off  every  evil  way.  Lead 
us  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  let  our  sins  be  cleansed  in 
his  blood.  Grant  us  thy  good  Spirit  to  be  our  sanc- 
tifier. 

"  Save  us  from  hypocrisy.  Suffer  us  not  to  come 
to  thy  house  with  carelessness,  and  return  to  our  own 
houses  and  commit  sin.  Unless  thou  have  mercy 
upon  us,  we  perish.  Unless  thou  save  us,  unless  we 
are  prepared,  and  made  meet  for  thy  habitation  in 
heaven,  we  are  banished  to  the  fire — we  die  :  but  let 
us  not  be  banished  to  that  unknown  world  of  fire. 
Save  us  through  Jesus  Christ  thy  Son,  the  Prince  of 
life  ;  yea,  let  us  obtain  salvation  through  him. 

"  Bless  all  the  inhabitants  of  these  islands,  all  tho 


132  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOIL 

families  thereof ;  let  every  one  stretch  out  his  hands 
unto  God,  and  say,  '  Lord,  save  me  ;  Lord,  save  me.' 

"  Let  all  these  islands — Tahiti,  with  all  the  peo- 
ple of  Eimeo,  and  of  Huahine,  and  of  Raiatea,  and 
of  the  little  islands  around,  partake  of  thy  salvation. 
Bless  Britain,  and  every  country  in  the  world.  Let 
thy  word  grow  quickly  in  the  world,  so  as  to  grow 
faster  than  evil. 

"  Be  merciful  to  us,  and  bless  us,  for  Jesus  Christ's 
sake.  Amen." 

This  prayer  showed  that  Pomare  had  been  taught 
aright  what  to  pray  for. 

Mr.  Nott  and  Mr.  Hayward  found  the  people  very 
anxious  to  learn  to  read.  As  there  were  no  schools 
in  Tahiti,  the  people  were  willing  to  be  taught  by 
any  one  whom  the  missionaries  had  instructed,  when 
they  lived  in  the  islands.  Many  grown  up  persons 
might  be  seen  sitting  under  trees  learning  to  read. 
Some  of  the  missionaries'  former  scholars  went  to 
the  other  islands,  and  taught  the  inhabitants.  The 
chiefs  of  these  islands  sent  messages  to  the  brethren, 
entreating  them  to  come  over  and  preach  to  them. 

When  the  missionaries  saw  and  heard  these  things, 
they  exclaimed,  "  This  is  the  finger  of  God.  What 
hath  God  wrought." 

The  king  had  some  time  before  destroyed  his  pub- 
lic idols  ;  but  he  now  wished  to  part  with  his  family 


THE   KING'S    FAMILY    IDOLS.  133 

idols,  that  he  had  always  kept  in  his  houses.  H* 
sent  ahout  twelve  of  these  frightful  little  images  to 
the  missionaries  in  Eimeo,  with  a  letter,  of  which  I 
will  copy  a  part. 

"  FRIENDS — May  you  be  saved  by  Jehovah,  and 
Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour.  This  is  my  speech  to  you, 
my  friends. 

"  I  wish  you  to  send  these  idols  to  England  for  the 
missionary  society,  that  they  may  know  the  likeness 
of  the  gods  that  Tahiti  worshipped.  These  were  my 
own  idols  belonging  to  my  fathers,  and  my  father 
left  them  to  me  when  he  died.  And  now,  having 
been  made  acquainted  with  the  true  God,  with  Je- 
hovah, HE  is  MY  GOD.  When  this  body  of  mine 
shall  be  dissolved  in  death,  may  the  Three-One  save 
me.  This  is  my  shelter,  my  close  hiding-place,  even 
from  the  anger  of  Jehovah.  When  he  looks  upon 
me,  I  will  hide  me  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  Christ  my 
Saviour,  that  I  may  escape. 

"  I  rejoice  and  praise  Jehovah  that  he  hath  made 
known  his  word  unto  me.  I  should  have  gone  to 
destruction,  if  Jehovah  had  not  interposed.  Many 
have  died,  and  are  gone  to  destruction — kings,  and 
common  people — they  died  without  knowing  any 
thing  of  the  true  God ;  and  now,  when  it  came  to 
the  small  remainder  of  the  people,  Jehovah  hath 
been  pleased  to  make  known  his  word,  and  we  are 


134  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

made  acquainted  with  his  good  word,  made  acquaint- 
ed with  the  deception  of  the  false  gods,  with  all  that 
is  evil  and  false.  It  was  you  that  taught  us,  but  the 
knowledge  came  from  Jehovah.  It  is  because  of 
this  I  rejoice,  and  I  pray  to  Jehovah  that  he  may 
increase  my  abhorrence  of  every  evil  way. 

"  I  am  going  a  journey  round  Tahiti  to  acquaint 
the  people  with  the  word  of  God.  The  principal 
idol  that  has  the  red  feathers  is  Temeharo ;  that  is 
his  name.  Look  you,  you  may  know  it  by  the  red 
feathers.  That  was  my  father's  own  god,  and  those 
feathers  were  given  by  Lieutenant  "Watts.  It  was 
my  father  that  set  them  himself  about  the  idol.  If 
you  think  proper,  you  may  burn  these  idols  all  in 
the  fire ;  or,  if  you  like,  send  them  to  your  own 
country,  that  the  people  there  may  know  Tahiti's 
foolish  gods." 

The  missionaries,  when  they  had  read  this  letter, 
nailed  up  the  images  in  a  wooden  case,  and  soon  af- 
terwards sent  them  to  England,  to  the  directors  of 
the  London  Missionary  Society. 

This  summer  the  brethren  made  several  journeys 
round  the  islands  of  Tahiti  and  Eimeo. 

I  will  give  you  some  account  of  a  journey  made 
by  Mr.  Davies  and  Mr.  Hayward  round  Tahiti  this 
October,  that  you  may  perceive  how  great  a  change 
had  taken  place  in  the  island. 


ANXIETY  FOR  THE  WORD.  135 

The  two  brethren  were  accompanied  by  several 
canoes  from  Eimeo,  full  of  men  and  boys ;  for  this 
time  the  brethren  did  not  travel  round  the  island  on 
foot,  but  went  by  water.  They  landed  at  every 
place  where  there  were  any  houses  ;  but  now  they 
had  no  need  to  go  from  house  to  house  to  entreat  the 
people  to  come  and  hear  them,  for  the  people  came 
of  themselves  ;  and  many  were  not  satisfied  with  the 
public  worship,  but  followed  the  brethren  to  the 
house  at  which  they  lodged,  that  they  might  be 
present  at  the  family  worship  ;  for  it  was  now  the 
custom  for  most  of  the  families  to  have  prayers  both 
morning  and  evening,  and  the  brethren  usually  con- 
ducted the  service,  when  they  were  present.  In  the 
evening,  one  of  the  brethren  read  a  passage  from  a 
little  book  of  extracts  from  the  New  Testament,  and 
explained  it,  and  then  prayed.  In  the  morning,  it 
was  often  too  dark  to  read  when  the  brethren  rose, 
and  in  this  case  they  generally  asked  one  of  the 
natives  to  pray  aloud. 

But  the  natives  were  not  content  with  family 
prayers  alone.  The  brethren  were  delighted,  wher- 
ever they  went,  to  see  them  seeking  retired  places 
among  the  bushes  for  private  prayer,  both  morning 
and  evening. 

The  natives  were  so  anxious  to  learn  about  holy 
things,  that  they  often  kept  the  brethren  awake  as 
they  lay  in  bed,  asking  them  questions,  almost  till 


136  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

morning.  It  would  have  been  more  kind,  if  they 
had  permitted  the  weary  missionaries  to  rest ;  but  it 
was  well  that  they  took  delight  in  good  conversation, 
instead  of  laughing  and  talking,  as  they  used  to  do 
both  night  and  day. 

On  one  occasion,  a  man  called  Tino,  who  had  for- 
merly pretended  to  be  a  prophet,  talked  to  the  breth- 
ren in  the  night  in  a  very  sensible  and  pious  manner. 
He  observed,  that  no  person  ought  to  be  kept  back 
from  coming  to  Christ,  because  of  his  wickedness ; 
"  For,"  said  Tino,  "  I  have  been  the  most  wicked  of 
men,  and  yet  I  am  now  turned  to  the  true  God,  and 
my  heart  is  quite  fixed  upon  him." 

Early  in  the  morning  people  often  came  to  the 
brethren  with  their  books,  entreating  to  be  allowed 
to  read  a  little  piece  to  them. 

In  every  place  the  brethren  found  a  chapel :  some- 
times it  was  very  small,  and  many  of  the  people  who 
flocked  to  hear  the  brethren,  were  obliged  to  stand 
outside.  The  chapels,  like  the  houses,  were  built  of 
posts,  placed  a  little  apart,  and  were  thatched  with 
leaves,  while  the  ground  was  strewed  with  clean 
grass.  In  the  middle  of  one  side,  a  seat  for  the  min- 
ister was  placed,  with  a  small  table  before  it,  while 
rows  of  benches  were  provided  for  the  hearers. 
There  were  sixty-six  of  these  chapels  in  the  island  * 
some  were  hardly  finished  when  the  brethren  arrived. 
The  people  assembled  for  public  worship  three  times 


PROGRESS    OF   THE    TRUTH.  137 

on  the  Sabbath,  on  Wednesday  evening,  and  in  many 
places  they  met  on  the  first  Monday  in  the  month, 
to  pray  for  the  conversion  of  the  heathen,  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  missionaries,  and  of  their  friends 
in  England. 

The  people  in  general  seemed  much  rejoiced  at  the 
change  that  had  taken  place.  One  chief,  called  Tati, 
observed,  "If  God  had  not  sent  his  word,  we  should 
soon  all  have  been  destroyed ;  for  once  we  were  a 
much  larger  nation  than  we  are  now ;  but  through 
killing  infants,  sacrificing  men,  and  fighting,  we  were 
becoming  fewer  and  fewer." 

But  though  in  general  the  brethren  were  cheered 
by  the  eager  attention  of  the  people,  they  were  some 
times  grieved  by  meeting  with  careless  persons,  yet 
seldom  with  the  bold  and  scornful,  as  in  former  times , 
for  the  good  example  of  the  chiefs  was  a  check  to  the 
ungodly. 

At  one  place  the  missionaries  found  the  people 
very  giddy  and  inattentive  at  worship.  They  re- 
proved them,  and  said,  "  "When  we  saw  your  little 
chapel,  we  were  pleased ;  but  now  we  see  your  be- 
havior, we  are  disappointed." 

At  another  place  they  sent  a  message  to  some  peo- 
ple who  lived  on  the  other  side  of  some  high  rocks 
in  Taiarabu,  to  come  to  them ;  but  the  men  senl 
word  that  they  could  not  come,  and  hoped  the  breth 
ren  would  come  to  them  instead.  Accordingly,  the 


J38  THE  NIGHT    OF  TOIL. 

brethren,  with  great  difficulty,  clambered  up  the 
steep  rocks ;  but  when  they  came  into  the  valley, 
they  were  disappointed  to  find  that  all  the  men  were 
gone  to  get  food.  They  went  back  again,  and  preach- 
ed to  some  other  persons  in  a  chapel  near  the  sea- 
shore. Afterwards  the  men  who  had  behaved  so  ill 
came  in,  and  said  they  were  sorry  they  had  so  little 
love  for  the  word  of  God  as  to  lose  opportunities  of 
hearing  it,  especially  as  it  was  so  seldom  preached 
among  them. 

"When  the  brethren  had  gone  almost  round  the 
island,  they  came  to  Matavai,  and  found  the  king 
there,  living  in  a  small  house  built  on  the  very  spot 
where  their  old  house  once  stood.  They  looked  at 
the  trees  which  they  themselves  had  planted,  and 
found  some  of  them  laden  with  oranges  and  lemons, 
though  most  of  the  breadfruits  were  destroyed.  The 
'king  treated  them  very  kindly,  and  the  people  of  the 
place  begged  them  earnestly  to  come  back  and  dwell 
among  them  again.  The  brethren  were  not  able 
yet  to  grant  the  request,  but  they  intended  to  grant 
it  as  soon  as  possible. 

How  righteous  were  God's  judgments  on  the  peo- 
ple of  Matavai.  They  had  slighted  the  word  of  God 
when  it  was  preached  among  them,  and  had  driven 
away  their  teachers  by  their  rebellious  wars.  God 
had,  in  judgment,  sent  "  a  famine  of  hearing  the 
words  of  the  Lord,"  Amos  8  :  11,  and  "removed 


DANGER   OF    NEGLECT.  139 

their  teachers  into  a  corner."  Isa.  30  :  20.  It  is 
very  dangerous  to  neglect  religious  advantages. 
Many  children  who  have  been  brought  up  beneath 
the  sound  of  a  faithful  minister's  voice,  have  longed 
in  vain  to  hear  such  a  voice  in  riper  years.  Many 
persons  who  have  lived  in  godly  families,  have  dis- 
covered what  a  blessing  they  once  enjoyed,  when 
they  could  never  enjoy  the  same  again. 


140  THE   N[GHT    OF   TOIL. 

CHAPTER  XVI, 


THE   BABA. 


ABOUT  this  time  some  new  missionaries  arrived. 
The  ships  which  brought  them  touched  first  at  Ta- 
hiti, where  the  king  was  residing.  Pomare  was 
much  pleased  to  hear  that  Mr.  Ellis  had  brought  a 
printing-press  with  him,  and  asked  him  to  put  it  up 
in  Tahiti,  and  remain  there  himself.  Mr.  Ellis, 
however,  told  him  that  he  must  join  his  brethren  in 
Eimeo. 

The  ship  contained  a  present  for  Pomare  that  de- 
lighted him  exceedingly :  it  was  a  horse.  Pomare 
went  down  to  see  it,  in  the  narrow  place  where  it 
had  been  kept,  unable  to  lie  down.  It  was  a  diffi- 
cult thing  to  remove  the  animal  to  the  shore.  Pomare 
had  desired  two  canoes  to  come  close  to  the  ship  to 
receive  it.  The  horse  was  then  tied  with  bandages 
to  a  part  of  the  ship  which  jutted  out  over  the  sea. 
While  the  horse  was  hanging  in  the  air  the  bandages 
gave  way,  and  the  poor  animal  dropped  into  the  sea. 
Pomare  and  the  natives  were  much  terrified  when 
they  saw  him  disappear  beneath  the  waves.  Soon, 
however,  he  arose  snorting  from  the  water,  and  began 
to  swim  to  the  shore.  The  natives  plunged  into  the 
sea,  and  seizing  the  horse,  some  by  the  mane  and 
others  by  the  tail,  endeavored  to  hold  him,  till  he 


THE  ''MAN-CARRYING  PIG."  141 

appeared  in  danger  of  being  drowned.  In  vain  the 
king  raised  his  voice  to  desire  the  people  to  leave  the 
animal  alone  ;  his  voice  was  lost  in  the  cries  of  the 
swimmers.  At  length  the  horse  reached  the  beach 
in  safety.  The  natives  who  were  assembled  there 
immediately  fled  in  alarm,  and  climbed  the  trees^  or 
hid  themselves  behind  the  rocks  and  bushes.  One 
of  the  English  sailors  who  was  on  shore,  went  up  to 
the  horse,  and  took  hold  of  his  halter.  The  natives 
then  returned  from  their  hiding-places,  and  gazed 
at  him  with  wonder.  No  horse  had  ever  been  seen 
in  Tahiti,  except  one  that  had  been  left  there  by 
Captain  Cook  forty  years  before ;  but  few  of  the 
people  could  remember  a  circumstance  that  occurred 
BO  long  ago.  The  horse  was  placed  in  a  shed  that 
night.  The  next  morning  the  captain  brought  a 
bridle  and  saddle  as  a  present  for  Pomare.  Pomare 
requested  him  to  put  them,  on  the  horse,  and  to  ride 
upon  his  back.  The  natives  were  delighted  when 
they  saw  the  horse  trotting  and  cantering  on  the 
beach,  and  they  called  it  "  land-running  pig,"  and 
"  man-carrying  pig."  Not  one,  I  believe,  would 
have  dared  to  mount  it  himself. 

On  the  Sabbath  Mr.  Ellis  visited  some  of  the  natives 
in  their  dwellings,  between  morning  and  afternoon 
service.  He  found  them  reading  out  of  their  little 
books  with  their  families,  and  talking  with  them 
upon  the  things  they  read  of. 


142  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

Mr.  Ellis  was  much  pleased  to  observe  how  care- 
fully they  kept  the  Sabbath,  not  even  preparing 
their  food  upon  that  day.  On  other  days  they  were 
much  more  industrious  than  they  once  had  been,  for 
they  had  now  left  off  the  foolish  games  they  formerly 
delighted  in.  Grown  up  people  no  longer  wasted 
their  time  in  playing  at  ball,  or  shooting  at  a  mark, 
or  still  worse,  in  wrestling,  boxing,  and  cock-fighting, 
but  employed  themselves  in  the  useful  labors  of 
building  and  planting.  Little  gardens  of  taro,  which 
resembles  a  potato,  surrounded  many  of  the  dwell- 
ings. The  greatest  ornament  of  these  gardens  was 
a  little  house  for  secret  prayer,  which  showed  that 
the  owners  were  looking  for  a  better  inheritance. 

The  brethren  now  consulted  together  respecting 
the  place  where  they  should  set  up  the  printing- 
press.  They  resolved  to  remove  it  to  the  other  side 
of  Eimeo,  and  agreed  that  Mr.  Ellis,  with  Mr.  Davies 
and  Mr.  Cook,  should  go  and  live  there.  By  this 
means  the  people  at  the  other  side  of  Eimeo  would 
have  an  opportunity  of  receiving  instruction. 

Pomare  sent  the  brethren  a  letter,  desiring  them 
to  inform  him  as  soon  as  the  printing-house  was  fin- 
ished, that  he  might  come  to  see  the  printing.  How* 
ever,  he  did  not  wait  till  that  time,  but  paid  them  a 
visit,  bringing  with  him  a  quantity  of  boards  for  the 
brethren.  His  mind  seemed  much  occupied  with 
thoughts  of  drawing,  and  he  looked  with  pleasure  at 


THE   PRINTING-HOUSE.  143 

some  portraits  of  ministers  in  a  magazine,  and  also 
at  some  pictures  of  beasts  and  birds.  He  did  not, 
however,  steal  any,  as  he  had  once  stolen  the  picture 
of  Adam  and  Eve  from  Mr.  Broomhall's  Bible. 

The  brethren,  as  well  as  the  natives,  employed 
themselves  in  building  the  new  houses.  They  paved 
the  floor  of  the  printing-house  with  stones.  Whence 
do  you  think  they  procured  these  stones  ?  From  a 
neighboring  marae,  which  had  contained  pieces  of 
pavement,  on  which  the  worshippers  had  knelt  before 
the  altars.  These  polished  stones  were  dug  up  and 
placed  where  God's  word  was  to  be  printed.  Thus 
Satan  was  robbed,  and  God  was  honored. 

In  the  beginning  of  June  the  printing-house  was 
finished.  Its  sides  were  composed  of  boards :  and 
it  had  two  glass  windows,  which  had  been  brought 
from  England,  and  which,  perhaps,  were  the  first 
ever  seen  in  the  islands. 

A  message  was  now  sent  to  inform  the  king  that 
all  was  ready  for  printing.  He  soon  arrived,  accom- 
panied by  a  few  favorite  chiefs,  and  a  multitude  of 
people.  The  first  book  that  was  to  be  printed  was 
the  J3a-ba,  or  spelling-book ;  for  though  some  hun- 
dreds had  once  been  printed,  both  in  England  and  at 
Port  Jackson,  there  were  not  nearly  enough  in  the 
islands. 

Pomare  looked  with  delight  at  the  leaden  letters, 
or  types,  placed  in  divisions.  Mr.  Ellis  asked  him 


144  THE   NIGHT   OF   TOIL. 

whether  he  would  like  to  set  them  himself.  Pomare 
gladly  consented  to  begin  the  work.  As  the  alphabet 
was  to  be  printed  on  the  first  page  of  the  Baba,  it 
was  easy  for  Pomare  to  take  a  large  letter  out  of 
each  division,  and  set  it  in  its  place.  He  next  placed 
the  small  letters,  and  then  a  few  short  words,  and 
thus  finished  setting  the  first  page  of  the  spelling- 
book.  But  as  it  was  necessary  that  many  pages 
should  be  prepared  before  the  press  could  be  used, 
Pomare  was  obliged  to  wait  about  a  fortnight  be- 
fore he  could  have  the  pleasure  of  striking  off  the 
first  sheet. 

At  last  he  came,  attended  by  two  favorite  chiefs, 
and  followed  by  a  crowd  of  curious,  eager  people. 
The  king  and  his  chiefs  made  their  way  through  the 
people  that  stood  round  the  door,  and  entered  the 
printing-house.  The  door  was  then  closed,  and  the 
window  next  the  sea  darkened,  for  the  king  did  not 
wish  to  be  seen,  and  the  people  did  not  behave  with 
the  politeness  which  Christian  children,  are  taught  to 
show,  not  knowing  it  was  rude  to  peep  in  at  windows. 

The  king  playfully  told  his  companions  not  to  laugh 
at  him,  if  he  should  not  print  in  the  right  manner. 
Mr.  Ellis  then  put  in  his  hand  a  soft  ball  dipped  in 
ink,  and  told  him  to  strike  it  upon  the  leaden  letters. 
He  then  placed  a  sheet  of  clean  paper  upon  the  let- 
ters, and  directed  the  king  to  turn  the  handle  of  the 
press.  When  Pomare  had  turned  it,  the  paper  was 


DESIRE  FOR  SPELLING-BOOKS.  145 

removed  from  beneath,  the  press ;  the  king  and  his 
friends  immediately  rushed  forwards  to  see  what  ef- 
fect had  been  produced.  "When  they  beheld  the  large 
and  black  letters  on  the  paper,  they  cried  out  together 
with  wonder  and  delight.  The  sheet  was  then  shown 
to  the  crowd  outside,  who  immediately  raised  a  gen- 
eral shout  of  joy.  The  king  printed  two  more  sheets, 
and  then  continued  till  sunset  watching  the  brethren 
at  the  work.  When  he  returned  to  his  tent,  he  took 
with  him  the  sheets  he  had  printed. 

Almost  every  day,  as  he  passed  the  printing-house, 
on  his  way  to  his  favorite  bathing-place,  he  called  in 
to  watch  the  printing  for  a  short  time.  The  people 
also  were  continually  peeping  in  at  the  windows,  and 
through  the  crevices  of  the  walls,  often  exclaiming, 
"0  Britain,  land  of  skill !" 

In  less  than  a  month  the  spelling-books  were 
printed  off,  and  distributed  among  the  people.  The 
natives  showred  great  anxiety  to  obtain  these  little 
books.  The  missionaries  received  a  number  of  plan- 
tain leaves  rolled  up,  from  Tahiti ;  when  they  un- 
rolled them,  they  found  each  contained  a  request  for 
spelling-books  written  on  the  leaves.  The  people, 
generally,  used  plantain  leaves  instead  of  paper  to 
write  notes  upon;  but  as  the  leaves  soon  withered, 
they  were  only  fit  for  notes. 

The  brethren  knew  that  the  people  were  not  only 
desirous  to  possess  books,  but  that  they  longed  to 

Night  of  Toil.  ^  Q 


146  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

read  the  contents ;  for  many  of  them  had  copied  their 
neighbors'  books  on  pieces  of  cloth  or  bark,  having 
used  a  reed  for  a  pen,  and  purple  juice  for  ink.  They 
were  also  very  anxious  to  know  the  meaning  of  what 
they  read,  in  their  little  books  of  extracts  from  the  Bi- 
ble ;  and  whenever  the  brethren  entered  their  houses, 
the  natives  had  generally  some  questions  to  ask  them, 
which  the  brethren  were  delighted  to  answer. 

How  pleasant  it  would  be  if  tracts  and  good  books, 
and  especially  the  Bible,  were  valued  as  much  among 
us.  But  the  full  soul  loatheth  the  honeycomb.  We 
have  so  many  books,  and  have  had  them  so  long,  that 
we  are  tempted  to  forget  what  precious  gifts  they  are. 

Mrs.  Ellis  and  Mrs.  Crook  made  covers  for  the 
spelling-books,  and  sold  the  covers  to  the  natives  in 
exchange  for  food.  Two  roots  of  taro,  or  a  bunch  01 
breadfruit,  were  the  price  of  a  cover.  The  spelling- 
books  had  not  been  sold,  for  fear  of  discouraging  the 
people  from  learning  to  read. 

Amongst  the  persons  who  received  spelling-books 
was  a  company  of  poor  strangers,  who  had  come 
some  time  before  to  Tahiti,  and  who  had  followed 
Pomare  to  Eimeo.  They  came  from  the  Pearl  Isl- 
ands, which  were  quite  flat,  and  which  produced 
nothing  but  cocoa-nuts,  and  they  themselves  were 
more  rude  in  their  manners  than  the  Tahitians.  They 
had  been  very  wicked,  and  had  almost  destroyed 
their  nation  by  their  wars.  But  now  they  had  cast 


MISSIONARIES  MADE  GLAD.  147 

away  their  idols,  and  worshipped  the  true  God,  and 
had  built  three  chapels  in  one  of  their  islands.  No 
Englishman  had  instructed  them,  but  one  of  their 
own  countrymen,  who  had  learned  to  read  in  Tahiti, 
had  gone  back  to  his  native  country,  and  taught  his 
people.  These  poor  strangers  were  longing  for  books 
and  more  teachers.  Pomare  had  been  very  kind  to 
them,  and  had  offered  to  let  them  live  in  Tahiti,  but 
they  were  anxious  to  return  to  their  native  islands,  as 
soon  as  they  had  procured  the  books  they  wanted. 
As  they  were  not  satisfied  with  spelling-books  alone, 
many  of  them  continued  to  live  among  Pomare' s  tents, 
and  often  visited  the  printing-house,  and  attended 
the  school  and  chapel. 

It  gladdened  the  missionaries'  hearts  to  see  the 
knowledge  of  God  spreading  from  isle  to  isle,  and 
those  who  were  accustomed  to  do  evil,  learning  to 
do  good ;  which  is  as  wonderful,  as  for  the  leopard 
to  change  his  spots,  and  the  black  man  to  become 
white ;  but  things  that  are  impossible  with  u  ni,  are 
possible  with  God. 


148  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

QUESTIONS   THE   NATIVES   ASKED    ABOUT    RELIGION. 

WHEN  Mr.  Ellis  had  finished  the  spelling-books,  he 
printed  some  catechisms,  and  then  some  little  books 
containing  a  collection  of  texts.  He  had  taught  two 
natives  how  to  help  him  at  the  press,  and  he  spent 
eight  or  ten  hours  every  day  in  the  work — so  anxious 
was  he  to  supply  the  people  with  books. 

Mrs.  Ellis  opened  a  school,  in  which  she  taught 
Mr.  Crook's  six  girls  to  work  at  their  needle,  and  any 
native  girls  who  desired  to  learn. 

The  brethren,  on  their  first  arrival,  had  planted 
flowers  and  vegetables  in  their  gardens.  The  king 
was  much  struck  with  the  sunflowers  in  Mr.  Ellis' 
garden,  having  never  seen  any  before,  and  he  asked 
for  some ;  Mr.  Ellis,  however,  refused  him,  because 
he  himself  wanted  the  flowers  for  seed.  The  king 
then  said  the  queen  and  her  sister  each  wished  for 
one.  Mr.  Ellis  could  not  deny  their  request,  and 
sent  them  one  apiece.  They  were  much  delighted, 
and  placed  them  as  ornaments  in  their  hair.  This 
little  anecdote  shows  you  that  Pomare  and  his  family 
had  not  left  off  their  old  habits  of  begging. 

In  the  course  of  the  summer  a  man  died,  of  whom 
you  have  already  heard  some  interesting  particulars, 
fou  remember  Farefau,  VMO  once  threw  the  red 


DEATH  OF  FAREFAU.  149 

feathers  into  the  oven.  He  had  continued  to  serve 
Christ  ever  since  that  time.  He  had  often  climbed 
the  steepest  rocks  and  mountains  of  Tahiti,  to  teach 
the  people  who  lived  at  a  distance  from  places  oi 
instruction.  A  few  weeks  before  his  death,  he  was 
brought  to  Eimeo  in  a  deep  decline ;  yet  it  was  not 
supposed  that  he  was  so  near  his  end.  The  day  be- 
fore he  died,  he  told  several  people  that  his  departure 
was  at  hand,  but  that  he  had  no  fears,  for  his  mind 
was  fixed  on  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  sinners, 
who  filled  his  soul  with  joy  and  peace. 

The  brethren  had  a  very  interesting  meeting  every 
Monday  evening  for  conversing  with  the  natives  upon 
religious  subjects.  As  I  suppose  you  would  like  to 
hear  what  remarks  the  natives  made  on  these  occa- 
sions, and  what  questions  they  asked,  I  will  relate  9 
few  of  them. 

They  often  spoke  of  the  sermon  they  had  heard  on 
the  day  before.  They  once  seemed  alarmed  after 
having  heard  Mr.  Davies  preach  upon  the  character 
of  Balaam.  An  old  man  afterwards  asked,  "  What 
is  the  difference  between  a  knowledge  of  G-od  in  the 
head,  and  a  belief  from  the  heart?" 

Sometimes  they  asked  questions  about  the  doctrinesr 
of  Scripture.  On.ce  a  man  asked,  "May  a  man  hope 
ever  to  be  free  from  evil  thoughts,  while  he  lives?" 
The  brethren  told  him,  that  as  long  as  we  lived,  we 
had  an  evil  nature  to  fight  against,  and  an  enemy  to 


150  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL 

tempt  us;  but  that  if  we  loved  Christ,  we  should 
strive  against  sin,  and  grow  more  and  more  holy. 
Another  time,  a  person  inquired  whether  the  wick- 
ed would  ever  be  released  from  hell,  and  admitted 
into  heaven.  The  brethren  answered,  that  as  tho 
wicked  would  never  repent  in  hell,  they  could  never 
be  released. 

Another  man  asked  why  the  wicked  angels  fell. 
The  brethren  told  them  that  it  was  pride  that  made 
them  fall.  But  when  the  natives  inquired  how  pride 
came  into  heaven,  the  brethren  could  give  them  no  an- 
swer, because  the  Bible  does  not  explain  this  mystery. 

Most  of  the  questions  asked  at  these  meetings  were 
about  what  things  were  right,  or  wrong  to  do.  These 
questions  showed  that  the  natives  were  anxious  to 
please  God. 

A  person  inquired  whether  it  was  right,  that,  at 
prayer-meetings,  the  chiefs  should  be  asked  to  pray, 
while  poor  men,  perhaps  more  pious  than  they,  were 
not  encouraged  to  take  a  part.  The  brethren  said 
that  it  was  wrong  to  show  this  respect  of  persons  in 
religious  meetings,  though,  on  other  occasions,  respect 
should  be  shown  to  the  chiefs. 

Another  time  it  was  asked,  whether  a  woman 
might  lead  family  prayers  when  her  husband  was 
absent,  and  no  other  man  present  who  could  take 
his  place.  The  brethren  replied,  that  it  would  be 
right  for  a  woman  in  that  case  to  lead  the  service. 


OBSERVANCE   OF    THE    SABBATH.  151 

Once  a  man  asked,  whether  he  ought  to  change 
his  name,  as  he  had  been  an  areoi,  and  very  wicked. 
The  brethren  said,  that  if  his  heart  was  changed,  his 
name  was  of  no  consequence. 

Another  time,  a  man  asked  whether  the  sick  ought 
to  be  brought  to  the  chapel  to  be  prayed  for.  The 
brethren  told  him  that  it  was  useless  to  bring  the 
sick  to  any  particular  place,  as  God  heard  prayer 
everywhere. 

Sometimes  questions  about  keeping  the  Sabbath 
were  asked.  It  was  inquired  whether,  when  a  per- 
son was  taken  very  ill,  his  friends  might  be  sent  for 
on  the  Sabbath,  though  they  lived  at  a  great  dis- 
tance ;  and  whether  even  a  canoe  might  be  sent  to 
fetch  them  from  other  islands.  The  brethren  said 
that  it  would  be  right  to  do  so ;  for  that  whatever 
was  an  act  of  mercy,  and  necessary  for  the  welfare 
of  man,  might  be  done  on  the  Sabbath-day. 

Two  little  anecdotes,  which  were  related  at  these 
meetings,  will  show  you  how  fearful  the  people  were 
of  breaking  the  Sabbath.  Once  two  canoes  were 
lying  on  the  beach ;  the  sea,  coming  up  higher  than 
usual,  washed  them  from  the  shore;  the  owner  of 
the  canoes  saw  them  tossing  upon  the  waves,  but 
would  not  go  into  the  sea  and  pull  them  to  land,  be- 
cause it  was  the  Sabbath.  In  consequence,  they 
were  dashed  to  pieces  among  the  rocks. 

Another  time  a  man  saw  a  pig  in  his  taro  garden ; 


152  THE   NIGHT   OF    TOIL. 

ho  perceived  that  the  fence  was  broken,  and  V  st 
therefore  it  would  be  of  no  use  to  drive  the  pig  <mt 
unless  he  mended  the  fence,  which  he  was  afraid  to 
do,  because  it  was  the  Sabbath-day.  The  men  who 
related  these  anecdotes  wished  to  know  whether 
'they  had  acted  right.  The  brethren  told  them  that 
they  were  mistaken,  though  they  were  right  not  to 
do  what  they  thought  was  wrong.  It  is  written  in 
the  Scripture,  "Whatsoever  is  not  of  faith,  is  sin." 
Rom.  14  :  23.  We  should,  therefore,  like  these  na- 
tives, take  great  pains  to  find  out  what  is  wrong, 
and  what  is  right ;  for  even  if  an  action  is  not  wrong, 
we  must  not  do  it  while  we  think  it  is  wrong. 

There  were  some  godly  parents  who  were  grieved 
by  the  conduct  of  their  wicked,  disobedient  children, 
and  who  asked  the  brethren's  advice  respecting  their 
treatment  of  them.  The  brethren  told  them  not  to 
send  these  young  people  away  from  their  homes,  but 
to  endeavor  by  kindness  to  melt  their  hearts,  and 
continually  to  beseech  the  Lord  to  convert  them. 

As  there  were  now  sixteen  missionaries  in  Eimeo, 
it  was  desirable  that  all  should  not  remain  in  that 
island.  Yet  it  was  thought  necessary  that  the  ship, 
still  on  the  stocks,  should  first  be  finished,  and  the 
books  in  the  press  published.  The  ship  which  the 
brethren  had  been  building  for  four  years,  was  now 
ready  to  be  launched ;  but  the  masts  and  sails  were 
not  yet  added  to  it. 


LAUNCHING    OF   THE    SHIP.  153 

On  December  7,  the  launching  of  the  ship  took 
place  in  the  presence  of  the  king,  the  missionaries, 
and  vast  crowds  of  people.  The  natives  pulled  it  by 
ropes  into  the  sea,  amidst  the  shouts  of  the  multitude. 

Pomare  had  chosen  it  should  be  called  the  Haweis, 
in  honor  of  Dr;  Haweis,  one  of  the  ministers  who  had 
taken  so  much  trouble  to  send  out  the  first  missiona- 
ries to  Tahiti.  It  is  pleasing  to  find  that  Pomare 
felt  grateful  to  this  benefactor,  though  he  had  never 
seen  him. 

May  not  Pomare's  gratitude  to  Dr.  Haweis  remind 
us  how  we  ought  to  love  One  whom  we  have  never 
seen,  and  who  has  been  kinder  to  us  than  any  earthly 
benefactor  could  be  ? 

Pomare  sometimes  wrote  letters  to  Dr.  Haweis, 
who  was  still  living.  I  will  show  you  part  of  one 
that  he  wrote  a  short  time  before  the  ship  was 
launched. 

"DEAR  FRIEND — May  you  be  blessed,  and  your 
family,  with  the  salvation  of  Jehovah  the  true  God. 

"  I  was  startled  at  receiving  your  letter,  for  I 
thought  you  had  been  taken  away  by  our  Lord.  The 
small  watch  that  you  sent  me  is  in  my  hands,  and 
remains  as  a  keepsake  from  you,  dear  friend. 

"  Your  name  has  been  given  by  me  to  the  vessel 
which  has  been  built  here.  I  was  urgent  about  it, 
for  some  said  it  should  have  another  name,  but  I 


154  THE   NIGHT  OF   TOIL. 

said,  '  No ;  the  name  must  be  the  Haweis.'  The 
reason  I  was  so  urgent  about  it  was,  because  you 
were  so  very  attentive  to  us  of  Tahiti,  yea,  indeed, 
all  of  you ;  for  the  Lord  put  the  thought  into  your 
minds,  to  send  messengers  here  to  Tahiti,  that  they 
might  sound  the  trumpet,  and  make  known  the  way 
of  life. 

"I  send  you  two  little  fans,  which  the  royal  family 
of  these  countries  were  accustomed  to  fan  themselves 
with.  When  the  day  of  the  feast  arrived,  and  the 
king  was  prayed  for,  those  were  the  fans  that  used  to 
fan  away  the  flies. 

"  What  am  I  to  do  with  the  little  pearl  box  which 
was  in  the  little  parcel  you  sent  me  ?  Had  it  been 
directed  to  me,  it  would  have  been  right,  but  there 
is  another  name  on  it,  that  of  the  queen  of  Lattakoo  ; 
that  is  the  reason  I  inform  you  of  it.  I  have  sent 
back  the  little  pearl  box  to  Mr.  Marsden  at  Port 
Jackson,  that  he  may  return  it  to  you. 

"  If  you  write  to  me  again,  I  shall  be  glad.  If  it 
be  agreeable,  send  me  three  books :  one  very  large 
Bible,  one  to  carry  about,  very  small,  and  one  book 
of  geography.  If  it  be  not  agreeable,  very  well.  Do 
not  think  evil  of  me,  dear  friend,  for  the  small  request 
that  I  make  at  the  end  of  my  letter. 

"May  you  be  blessed  by  Jesus  Christ,  the  true 
King  of  salvation,  by  whom  we  must  all  be  saved. 

"POMARE," 


RETURN    TO    TAHITI.  155 

One  of  the  brethren  removed  almost  immediately 
.  to  Mat avai,  in  Tahiti,  where  the  missionaries  had  at 
first  resided.  This  was  Mr.  Wilson,  who  took  with 
him  his  wife  and  four  little  children.  It  was  a  joy- 
ful day  to  many  of  the  people  in  Tahiti,  when  they 
again  saw  the  face  of  a  teacher,  come  to  live  among 
them;  for  nine  years  had  passed  away  since  the 
brethren  had  fled  from  their  island.  No  part  of  Ta- 
hiti was  so  ungodly  as  Matavai,  on  account  of  the 
number  of  wicked  sailors  that  visited  it  in  the  Eng- 
lish ships,  and  sold  spirits,  and  set  a  bad  example 
Yet,  even  here,  there  were  a  few  that  really  loved 
God.  I  will  give  you  an  instance  of  one.  After  the 
Monday  evening  meeting,  a  man  once  followed  Mr. 
Wilson  to  his  house,  and  said  to  him,  "  Is  it  right  for 
people  to  weep,  when  they  go  to  pray  in  the  bushes  ? 
for  I  cannot  help  weeping  when  I  pray.  Do  othre 
people  weep  ?" 

Mr.  Wilson  replied,  "  Why  do  you  weep  ?" 
"  It  is,"  said  the  man,  "  the  thought  of  God's  great 
goodness  to  me,  of  the  love  of  Christ  in  dying  for 
sinners,  and  of  the  return  that  I  have  made,  only  bad 
behavior,  that  makes  me  weep. ' '  Mr.  Wilson  rejoiced 
over  this  penitent  sinner,  well  knowing  how  accepta- 
ble his  tears  were  to  Him  who  permitted  his  feet  to 
be  washed  with  the  tears  of  humble,  grateful  love. 


156  THE   NIGHT   OF  TOIL. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

WHAT   THE   NATIVES   VALUED   ABOVE   ALL   THINGS   ELSE. 

THE  natives  were  now  looking  forward  to  receiv- 
ing a  more  precious  book  than  any  they  had  yet 
obtained.  Though  this  book  would  not  contain  the 
whole  of  the  Bible,  but  only  the  gospel  of  Luke,  yet 
the  idea  of  possessing  it  filled  the  natives  with  such 
delight,  that  many  could  not  sleep  for  joy. 

For  many  years  past,  Mr.  Nott  had  been  employed 
in  translating  the  gospel  of  Luke  into  Tahitian,  and 
Pomare  had  been  very  useful  in  assisting  him,  and 
copying  it  out  for  him. 

The  six  missionaries  lately  arrived  had  brought 
with  them  an  immense  quantity  of  paper,  so  that 
Mr.  Ellis  determined  to  print  three  thousand  copies 
of  Luke  ;  yet  these  he  feared  would  not  be  enough 
to  supply  all  who  could  read. 

Hitherto  the  brethren  had  given  away  the  little 
books  they  had  printed  ;  they  now  agreed  to  sell  the 
book  of  Luke,  because  with  the  price  they  might  buy 
more  paper,  and  print  more  books.  The  price  they 
fixed  on  was  three  gallons  of  cocoa-nut  oil.  Some 
months  before  the  books  were  ready,  they  advised  the 
natives  to  begin  to  prepare  the  oil.^ 

*  This  was  the  manner  of  preparing  the  oil.     The  kernel 


BINDING   THE    BOOKS.  157 

While  the  book  was  in  press,  the  natives  who  vis- 
ited the  printing-house,  read  different  parts  of  it  with 
great  interest,  and  asked  so  many  questions  about 
what  they  read,  that  Mr.  Ellis  was  often  obliged  to 
stop  printing  to  explain  it  to  them.  Not  only  did 
visitors  generally  fill  the  printing-house,  but  they  even 
thronged  the  windows,  and  those  who  could  not  get 
near  in  any  other  way,  sat  upon  the  top  of  a  high 
fence  placed  around  the  house,  or  climbed  upon  the 
backs  of  their  companions. 

When  the  books  were  nearly  finished,  the  crowds 
increased.  Numbers  came  from  distant  parts,  so  that 
the  sea-shore  was  covered  with  canoes,  and  the  land 
dotted  with  tents. 

The  missionaries,  however,  did  not  like  to  distribute 
the  books,  till  they  were  bound.  At  first  they  used 
mill-board  and  sheep-skins  from  England,  and  when 
these  were  exhausted,  they  were  obliged  to  make 
covers  of  native  cloth,  covered  with  old  newspapers, 
dyed  with  purple  juice.  They  bound  the  book  in- 
tended for  the  king  in  a  more  handsome  manner,  even 
in  red  morocco. 

At  last  the  people  grew  so  impatient,  that  the 
brethren  gave  up  binding  the  books.  They  were 
pleased  to  find  that  the  natives  did  not  suffer  the 
precious  books  to  remain  without  covers.  The  lives 

of  the  cocoa-nut  was  scraped,  placed  in  a  trouga,  and  exposed 
to  the  sun,  when  the  heat  caused  oil  to  flow  from  it. 


158  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

of  dogs,  cats,  and  goats,  were  now  very  unsafe,  for 
the  natives  caught  them  for  the  sake  of  their  skins ; 
they  then  scraped,  pressed,  and  dried  the  skins  in  the 
sun,  to  prepare  them  for  covers.  The  brethren  were 
amused  to  see  the  trees  all  round  the  printing-house, 
thickly  hung  with  skins  stretched  on  wooden  frames. 
Meanwhile  the  people  were  careful  not  to  injure  their 
books,  and  as  they  could  not  refrain  from  reading  them, 
they  placed  them  between  thin  pieces  of  boards,  till 
the  skins  were  ready.  They  were  not  even  satisfied 
when  they  had  bound  them,  but  carried  them  about 
either  in  bags  or  baskets.  They  scarcely  knew  what 
to  do  with  them  when  they  left  their  houses  for  a 
short  time,  as  they  were  afraid  that  they  should  hurt 
their  treasures,  if  they  took  them  with  them,  and 
that,  if  they  left  them  at  home,  some  accident  would 
occur  in  their  absence. 

I  will  mention  one  instance  of  the  anxiety  that  the 
natives  showed  to  obtain  the  books,  that  afterwards 
they  preserved  so  carefully. 

One  evening,  five  men  from  Tahiti  landed  at  Afa- 
reaitu,  and  hastened  to  Mr.  Ellis'  dwelling.  Mr. 
Ellis  met  them  at  the  door,  and  asked  them  what 
they  wanted. 

They  replied  altogether,  "  The  word  of  Luke,"  and 
then  showed  their  bamboos  of  cocoa-nut  oil.^ 

*  A  bamboo  is  a  hollow  stick.  It  is  not  hollow  throughout, 
but  is  divided  by  notches  at  short  distances.  The  natives  cut 


ANXIOUS    DESIRE    FOR    BOOKS.  150 

Mr.  Ellis  told  them  that  he  had  no  books  ready 
that  night,  but  that  if  they  would  come  the  next  day, 
he  would  give  them  as  many  as  they  wanted,  and  he 
advised  them  to  go  and  lodge  with  some  friend  in  the 
village.  Then,  as  it  was  almost  dark,  he  wished 
them  good  night,  and  went  into  his  house.  When 
the  sun  rose,  Mr.  Ellis  looked  out  of  his  window,  and 
was  surprised  to  see  these  men  lying  on  the  ground 
outside  his  house,  their  only  bed  being  some  platted 
cocoa-nut  leaves,  and  their  only  covering  the  cloth 
they  usually  wore  over  their  shoulders.  Mr.  Ellis 
went  out,  and  said,  "  Have  you  been  here  all  night  ?" 

They  said  that  they  had. 

He  next  inquired,  "  Why  did  you  not  go  to  some 
house  to  lodge  ?" 

"We  were  afraid,"  replied  the  men,  "lest,  if  we 
had  gone  away,  some  one  might  have  come  before 
morning,  and  have  bought  all  the  books  that  you  had 
to  spare,  so  that  we  should  have  been  obliged  to 
return  without  any.  As  soon  as  you  left  us  last 
night,  we  determined  not  to  leave  the  place  till  we 
had  procured  the  books." 

This  answer  surprised  and  delighted  Mr.  Ellis. 
He  called  the  men  into  the  printing-office,  put  the 
loose  sheets  of  the  books  together,  as  quickly  as  he 
could,  and  gave  each  of  the  men  an  unbound  copy 

the  bamboos  at  the  notches,  and  used  each  piece  as  a  bottle. 
Each  piece  contains  nearly  three  quarts. 


160  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

of  Luke's  Gospel.  They  then  requested  to  have  two 
more  copies  for  a  mother  and  a  sister.  These  books 
were  also  granted,  and  the  cocoa-nut  oil  was  received 
as  the  price.  Then  each  of  the  men  wrapped  up  his 
book  in  a  piece  of  white  cloth  of  bark,  put  it  in  his 
bosom,  and  set  sail  for  Tahiti,  without  having  either 
eaten  or  drunk,  or  visited  any  person  during  his  stay 
at  Eimeo. 

Probably  many  of  the  people,  who  appeared  to  love 
the  word  of  God,  cared  more  for  having  a  book  of 
their  own,  than  for  knowing  God's  will ;  but  others 
certainly  did  love  it  because  it  was  able  to  save  their 
souls  through  faith  in  Christ.  The  word  of  Luke 
was  now  read  in  numerous  families,  both  at  morning 
and  evening  prayers.  Often  in  the  day,  persons  might 
be  seen  sitting  in  a  circle  under  the  shade  of  a  tree, 
listening  to  some  native,  who  was  reading  the  Gospel 
aloud. 

The  missionaries  now  intended  very  soon  to  sep- 
arate from  each  other,  and  to  dwell  in  different 
islands ;  but,  before  they  took  this  step,  they  exe- 
cuted a  new  plan  in  Eimeo.  They  thought  that  as 
the  natives  knew  how  precious  the  Gospel  was,  they 
would  be  willing  to  give  some  of  their  property  to 
help  to  send  it  to  heathen  lands.  Therefore,  the 
brethren  determined  to  form  a  Missionary  Society  in 
Eimeo.  They  first  proposed  the  plan  to  the  king, 
who  approved  of  it,  and  who  soon  afterwards  said  to 


PLAN   OF    A.    MISSIONARY   SOCIETY.        161 

one  of  his  pious  chiefs,  named  A-u-na,  "  Do  you  think 
you  could  collect  five  bamboo-canes  of  cocoa-nut  oil  in 
a  year?" 

He  answered,  "Yes." 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  spare  so  much,  for  send- 
ing the  word  of  God  to  the  heathen  ?" 

Again  A-u-na  replied,  "  Yes." 

"Do  you  think,"  continued  Pomare,  "that  those 
who  value  the  Gospel  in  this  land,  would  think  it  a 
great  labor  to  collect  so  much  oil  every  year  ?" 

"  No,"  replied  A-u-na, "  I  do  not  think  they  would." 

"  Then,"  said  the  king,  "  think  about  it,  and  let  us 
join  together  in  a  plan  for  this  purpose." 

The  king  and  chiefs  consulted  privately  with  the 
missionaries,  and  arranged  all  the  rules  of  the  new 
society. 

On  May  13th,  a  great  meeting  was  held  at  Pape- 
toai,  in  Eimeo.  All  the  missionaries  assembled  at 
the  place,  and  numbers  of  natives  came  over  from 
Tahiti.  The  day  was  begun  by  a  prayer-meeting 
Among  the  natives  at  sunrise,  and  by  another  among 
the  brethren.  It  was  arranged  that  the  service  was 
to  begin  in  the  chapel  at  three  o'clock ;  but,  long 
before  that  hour,  the  place  was  so  crowded  that  the 
people  agreed  to  remove  to  a  grove  of  cocoa-nut  trees 
at  a  short  distance. 

When  the  brethren  entered  this  grove,  they  found 
the  natives  already  assembled  there,  and  they  were 

Night  of  Toil.  j  | 


162  THE  NIGHT   OF   TOIL. 

much  struck  with  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  The 
grove  was  situated  close  to  the  sea,  and  at  the  foot 
of  steep  rocks  and  high  mountains.  Shells  and  white 
coral  were  strewed  upon  the  beach ;  various  kinds 
of  lovely  plants  hung  from  the  jutting  rocks,  while 
others  twined  round  the  stems  of  the  trees,  and 
adorned  even  the  branches  with  festoons  of  pink  blos- 
soms. The  trees  were  so  tall,  and  covered  with  such 
large  and  numerous  leaves,  that  their  branches 
formed  a  ceiling  at  a  great  height  above  the  people, 
and  shaded  them  entirely  from  the  sun.  Multitudes, 
in  their  native  dresses,  were  seated  on  the  thick  grass 
beneath. 

A  wooden  stand  was  prepared  for  Mr.  Nott,  close 
to  the  trunk  of  one  of  the  tall  trees.  The  king  was 
seated  in  an  arm-chair  before  him,  and  was  dressed 
in  a  yellow  tiputa,  with  a  scarlet  flower  painted  on 
the  part  that  covered  his  breast.  The  queen  and 
her  ladies,  and  many  chiefs,  were  seated  near  the 
king. 

How  delightful  it  was  to  think  that  these  people 
were  assembled,  not  for  war,  nor  for  bloody  sacrifices, 
not  for  rioting,  nor  immoderate  feasting,  as  in  times 
past,  but  to  assist  in  sending  the  word  of  God  to  poor 
ignorant  heathen. 

The  service  began  with  singing  and  prayer  ;  then 
Mr.  Nott  preached  from  the  words,  "  Understande'st 
thou  what  thou  readest  ?"  and  the  answer  of  the 


THE  KING'S    SPEECH.  163 

Ethiopian,  "  How  can  I,  except  some  man  should 
guide  me?"  Acts  8  :  30,  31. 

When  the  sermon  was  finished,  Pomare  addressed 
his  people.  He  reminded  them  of  their  former  state, 
when  their  choicest  fish  and  fruits  were  offered  to 
their  idols,  and  when  even  men  were  sacrificed.  He 
then  described  the  happiness  they  now  enjoyed 
through  the  Gospel,  and  proposed  giving  their  prop- 
erty to  help  to  send  it  to  other  lands.  He  declared, 
he  wished  only  those  to  give  who  gave  willingly ; 
and  that,  as  he  supposed  those  who  did  not  love  the 
Gospel  themselves,  would  not  give  willingly,  he  de- 
sired they  should  not  be  forced  to  give,  or  even 
called  mean  and  avaricious  because  they  did  not 
give.  Pomare  concluded  his  speech  by  requesting 
that  those  who  wished  a  Missionary  Society  to  be 
formed,  would  hold  up  their  hands.  Hundreds  of 
dark-colored  arms  were  in  one  moment  lifted  up 
towards  heaven.  Cheering  sight  to  the  brethren, 
who  remembered  how  lately  those  hands  had  been 
used  in  executing  wicked  deeds  ! 

As  the  sun  hid  its  head  beneath  the  distant  waves 
of  the  sea,  the  king  arose  from  his  chair,  and  the 
people  returned  rejoicing  to  their  houses  ;  *but  none 
rejoiced  as  those  did  who  had  sown  the  good  seed 
that  was  now  springing  up  in  many  hearts. 

Mr.  Ellis  had  not  finished  distributing  the  Gospel 
of  Luke  at  the  time  this  meeting  was  held,  therefore 


' 


164  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

he  returned  with  some  of  his  "brethren  to  Afareaitu 
for  a  short  time. 

But  soon  the  time  came  when  the  brethren  might 
go  and  reside  in  different  islands.  The  ship  Haweis 
•\vas  now  rigged,  and  was  ready  to  convey  them  to 
their  new  stations. 

Mr.  Ellis  determined  to  leave  Eimeo,  and  to  go  to 
the  island  of  Huahine.  Nine  years  before,  the  mis- 
sionaries had  lived  in  that  island  for  a  year,  and 
since  that  time  the  inhabitants  had  cast  away  their 
idols,  and  had  built  many  chapels. 

Mr.  Ellis  left  Eimeo  with  great  regret.  He  had 
been  much  pleased  with  the  natives  while  he  lived 
there.  They  had  behaved  with  so  much  honesty, 
that  though  he  had  no  bolt  nor  lock  upon  his  door, 
not  an  article  had  been  stolen.  You  have  not  for- 
gotten their  former  thievish  disposition,  but  now  they 
stole  no  more. 


THE  CHAPEL  AT  PAPAO.         165 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE   CHAPEL   WITH   THREE   PULPITS. 

FOR  some  time  past  Pomare  had  been  building  a 
very  large  and  handsome  chapel  in  Tahiti,  at  a  place 
called  Pa-pa-o,  which  was  only  four  miles  from  Ma- 
tavai. 

The  missionaries  had  advised  the  king  not  to  build 
so  immense  a  chapel,  as  it  would  be  of  less  use  than 
a  smaller  one  ;  but  Pomare  had  replied,  that  king 
Solomon  once  built  a  very  magnificent  temple,  and 
that  he  wished  to  imitate  him.  His  immense  chapel 
was  finished  in  the  spring  of  1819.  It  contained 
one  hundred  and  thirty-three  windows  and  twenty- 
nine  doors.  It  was  seven  hundred  and  twelve  feet 
long,  and  fifty-four  feet  wide. 

There  is  not  a  church  of  so  great  a  length.*  As 
it  was  impossible  that  a  preacher  could  speak  loud 
enough  to  be  h'eard  to  the  end  of  the  chapel  during 
a  whole  sermon,  three  pulpits  were  placed  in  it. 
The  ceiling  was  covered  with  fine  matting,  and  the 
floor  with  dried  grass ;  and  the  building  was  filled 
with  benches  and  pews.  The  most  remarkable  thing 
in  the  chapel  was  a  stream  of  water,  that  ran  in  a 

*  St.  Paul's  church  in  London  is  500  feet  in  length,  and  180 
in  breadth. 


166  THE    NIGHT    OF  TOIL. 

slanting  direction  through  it.  The  stream  had  not 
been  observed  till  after  the  chapel  had  been  begun. 
The  builders  might  have  tried  to  turn  the  course  of 
this  stream,  which  flowed  from  the  mountains  into 
the  sea,  but  then,  perhaps,  the  water  would  have 
overflowed  ;  therefore  they  suffered  it  to  pass  through 
the  chapel.  I  think  those  who  sat  near  it  must  have 
been  reminded  by  the  sight  of  this  living  stream,  of 
the  living  water  that  Jesus  gives  to  those  who  ask 
him,  and  of  the  crystal  river  that  makes  glad  the 
city  of  God. 

The  chapel  was  called  the  Royal  Mission  Chapel. 
Great  crowds  of  people  flocked  from  all  the  islands 
to  be  present  at  the  first  service  performed  in  it  in 
May.  The  tents  of  the  visitors  lined  the  shore  for 
four  miles. 

The  day  when  the  chapel  was  opened,  the  king  and 
royal  family  were  present.  A  minister  stood  in  each 
of  the  pulpits.  Mr.  Darling,  who  was  in  the  middle 
pulpit,  gave  out  a  hymn  in  a  voice  loud  enough  for 
all  to  hear,  and  the  six  thousand  people  who  filled 
the  chapel  joined  in  singing  it.  Then  each  minister 
read  Luke  14  .to  the  people  around  him,  and  after- 
wards prayed.  Though  three  voices  were  raised  at 
once,  yet  from  the  great  size  of  the  place,  they  did* 
not  interfere  with  each  other.  The  three  sermons 
began  at  the  same  time,  and  ended  very  nearly 
together.  The  congregation  then  joined  in  singing 


PROCLAMATION    OF    THE  LAWS.  167 

a  hymn,  and  the  ministers  concluded  the  service  with 
prayer.  Thus  ended  this  joyful  meeting. 

The  next  day  the  congregation  assembled  again  to 
hear  three  sermons  for  the  Missionary  Society.  In 
the  afternoon  they  heard  three  more.  A  great  many 
subscriptions  had  already  been  made  to  the  Society. 
The  king  had  put  down  his  name  as  a  subscriber  of 
eight  hogs  a  year. 

The  day  following,  which  was  Thursday,  the  laws 
were  publicly  given  to  the  people.  The  king  had 
made  the  laws  some  time  before,  with  the  assistance 
of  his  chiefs  and  the  advice  of  the  missionaries,  and 
had  written  them  out  with  his  own  hand.  There 
were  eighteen  laws.  Amongst  them  were  laws 
against  murder,  rebellion,  theft,  and  Sabbath-break- 
ing. 

Murderers  and  rebels  alone  were  to  be  punished 
with  death.  Thieves  were  only  to  be  obliged  to  re- 
store four  times  the  amount  of  property  they  had 
taken. 

On  the  day  when  the  laws  were  proclaimed,  the 
people  assembled  in  the  chapel,  and  Pomare  asked 
Mr.  Crook  to  begin  with  prayer  and  reading.  Then 
Pomare  stood  in  the  middle  pulpit,  and  after  looking 
joyfully  round  upon  his  subjects,  spoke  to  one  of  his 
chiefs  named  Tati,  saying,  "  Tati,  what  is  your  de- 
sire ?  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?" 

Tati,  who  sat  nearly  opposite  the  pulpit,  arose  and 


168  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

said,  "  Those  are  what  we  want — the  papers  you 
hold  in  your  hand — the  laws.  Give  them  to  us, 
that  we  may  hold  them  in  our  hands,  that  we  may 
regard  them,  and  do  what  is  right." 

The  king  then  said  in  an  affectionate  manner  to 
another  very  pious  chief,  "  Utami,  what  is  your  de- 
sire ?"  He  replied,  "  One  thing  only  is  desired  by  us 
all— that  which  Tati  has  said — the  laws  which  you 
hold  in*  your,  hand."  The  king  then  spoke  to  the 
other  chiefs  in  the  same  manner.  He  next  read 
aloud  the  eighteen  laws,  and  explained  several  parts 
of  them.  After  reading  each  law,  the  king  said  to 
the  chiefs,  "Do  you  agree  to  this  law?"  and  the 
chiefs  replied  after  each,  "We  heartily  agree  to  it." 
The  king  next  asked  the  people  after  each  law,  if 
they  agreed  to  it  to  lift  up  their  right  hands.  This 
was  done  in  an  instant,  and  caused  a  rushing  noise 
to  be  heard,  so  vast  was  the  number  of  arms  in  a 
moment  lifted  up.  "When  the  king  came  to  the  law 
against  rebellion,  he  seemed  almost  inclined  to  pass 
it  over,  as  many  who  had  rebelled  against  him  were 
present.  Yet  when  he  had  read  the  law,  Tati,  who 
had  been  a  ringleader  among  the  rebels,  not  satis- 
fied with  holding  up  his  hand  as  usual,  arose,  hold- 
ing up  both  hands,  and  called  upon  the  people  to  do 
the  same.  This  was  an  instance  of  the  change  that 
the  Gospel  had  made  in  many  a  proud,  rebellious 
heart. 


HAPPY   EVENTS.  169 

On  the  next  Sabbath,  the  most  interesting  of  all 
the  meetings  on  this  occasion  was  held.  Pomare, 
who  long  since  was  ready  to  be  enrolled  as  the  first 
convert  from  heathenism,  had  lately  shown  a  strong 
desire  to  devote  himself  to  God,  and  had  received 
much  instruction  from  the  brethren.  Three  ser- 
mons were  preached  that  morning,  at  the  close  of 
which  the  king  solemnly  professed  his  faith  in  a  cru- 
cified Redeemer.  The  brethren,  who  had  long  watch- 
ed over  his  soul,  felt  much  moved  on  this  solemn 
occasion.  Mr.  Bicknell,  in  a  very  feeling  manner, 
entreated  him  to  walk  worthy  of  the  profession  he 
had  made,  remembering,  that  as  he  held  the  high 
office  of  a  king,  the  eyes  of  men,  as  well  as  those  of 
God  and  angels,  were  fixed  upon  him. 

Mr.  Henry  then  exhorted  the  people  to  follow  the 
example  of  the  king,  and  give  themselves  to  the 
Lord.  After  singing  and  prayer,  the  king  shook 
hands  affectionately  with  all  the  brethren. 

We  have  thus  related  the  events  of  the  happy 
week  when  the  Royal  Mission  Chapel  first  was 
opened.  0  how  different  were  these  assemblies 
from  those  feasts  at  which  Pomare  and  his  father 
had  often  distributed  the  bleeding  limbs  of  men 
among  the  chiefs,  as  offerings  to  the  gods  !  The  rest 
of  the  year  was  full  of  happy  events,, 

As  all  the  people  preferred  hearing  the  mission- 
aries preach  to  hearing  the  natives,  they  came  from 


170  THE   NIGHT   OF   TOIL. 

a  great  distance  to  the  chapels  where  missionaries 
preached.  Therefore  there  was  service  no  longer  in 
the  little  chapels,  which  were  either  suffered  to  fall 
into  decay,  or  used  as  school-houses.  Many  natives 
came  and  lived  near  the  different  stations  of  the 
brethren,  and  those  who  had  lands  at  a  distance,  and 
could  not  live  near  them,  assembled  on  Saturday 
afternoon  in  their  canoes,  and  set  up  their  tents  on 
the  beach. 

It  was  delightful  to  see  the  people  preparing  their 
food  on  Saturday,  which  was  called  "  food-day,"  in 
consequence.  They  lighted  fires,  at  which  they 
boiled  their  puddings  of  bananas,  and  breadfruit, 
and  cocoa-nut  milk.  Men  might  be  seen  coming 
from  the  stream  with  vessels  of  water  in  their  hands, 
for  washing  their  hands  on  the  Sabbath,  and  women 
with  bundles  of  breadtree  leaves  for  plates.  In 
each  house  little  baskets  of  food  were  hung  up  on 
the  pegs  of  the  great  posts,  and  the  best  clothes  were 
put  out  ready  to  wear.  The  natives  spent  Saturday 
evening  in  singing,  reading,  and  praying  in  their 
houses. 

On  the  Sabbath-day  no  tree  was  climbed,  and  no 
fire  was  lighted ;  but  the  day  was  devoted  to  the 
care  of  the  soul.  At  sunrise  the  people  prayed  alone, 
as  usual,  either  among  the  bushes,  or  in  the  little 
prayer-houses,  or  in  some  retired  corner  of  their  own. 
At  seven  they  assembled  in  the  chapel  for  prayer 


THE    SABBATH    MORNING.  171 

and  reading,  though  the  ministers  did  not  come  so 
early.  From  eight  to  nine,  the  schools  for  boys  and 
girls  met  in  the  school-houses.  The  natives  them- 
selves instructed  the  children  in  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  heard  them  repeat  their  hymns  and 
catechism. 

At  a  quarter  before  nine,  a  sound  was  heard  : 
sometimes  it  was  the  sound  of  a  shell,  that  a  man 
carried  round  the  village,  and  blew  like  a  trumpet ; 
in  other  places,  it  was  the  sound  of  a  stone  striking 
against  a  bar  of  iron  hung  on  a  tree  ;  and  in  others, 
it  was  the  sound  of  a  little  bell ;  but  whatever  was 
the  kind  of  sound,  the  meaning  was  the  same — 
"  Come  ye  to  the  house  of  the  Lord."  Then  the 
teachers  led  their  classes  to  the  chapel.  The  girls 
walked  first,  two  and  two,  and  hand  in  hand,  most 
of  them  wearing  frocks  like  English  children,  and 
bonnets  made  of  plaited  grass  or  bark.  Each  carried 
in  her  hand  a  little  basket,  containing  her  hymn- 
book,  catechism,  and  the  Scriptures.  The  boys  came 
afterwards,  dressed  in  native  garments,  a  little  mat 
of  bark  round  their  waists,  and  a  little  red  or  yellow 
shawl  thrown  over  their  shoulders,  a  hat  of  plaited 
grass,  and  no  shoes  on  their  feet.  Some  of  their  par- 
ents were  often  watching  to  see  the  children  pass  by. 
Many  a  mother  then  blessed  God,  as  she  looked  on 
her  darling  child,  for  sending  the  missionaries,  who 
showed  her  the  sin  of  burying  it  in  the  earth. 


172  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

The  children  sat  in  their  appointed  places  at 
chapel.  The  people  were  all  ready  before  service 
began,  for  though  they  had  scarcely  any  clocks  or 
watches,  they  were  obedient  to  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet-shell. 

At  half-past  ten,  or  eleven,  service  was  over.  The 
children  walked  back  in  order  to  their  school-houses, 
and  were  then  dismissed  by  their  teachers.  Aftei 
dinner  the  children  assembled  in  school  again,  but 
as  it  was  very  hot  at  that  hour,  each  teacher  often 
took  a  class  to  sit  under  the  shade  of  some  thick 
tree,  and  there  asked  them  to  repeat  what  they  had 
heard  of  the  morning  sermon,  and  talked  to  them  of 
a  Saviour's  love  for  little  children. 

Afternoon  service  began  about  four.  By  sunset 
the  people  were  all  returned  to  their  dwellings,  to 
spend  the  evening  in  reading,  singing,  and  prayer. 
Sometimes  a  few  families  met  together,  and  some- 
times the  father  of  each  family  taught  his  own  chil- 
dren and  servants. 

In  this  manner  the  converted  natives  of  the  South 
Seas  passed  their  Sabbaths :  they  called  them  "  a 
delight,  honorable,  and  did  honor  God ;  not  doing 
their  own  ways,  nor  finding  their  own  pleasure,  nor 
speaking  their  own  words,  but  delighting  themselves 
in  the  Lord."  Isaiah  58  :  13. 


AN   UNWILLING   GIVER.  173 

CHAPTER  XX. 

THE   NEW   CUSTOMS   OF    TAHITI. 

ALTHOUGH  I  have  given  so  pleasing  an  account  of 
the  people  of  Tahiti,  you  must  not  suppose  that  all 
the  people  were  converted  in  heart.  It  is  to  he 
feared  that  only  a  few  were  really  horn  again,  al- 
though the  hehavior  of  most  was  changed.  Some- 
times even  those  who  the  missionaries  hoped  were 
converted,  grieved  them  by  their  conduct. 

A  chief  one  day  said  to  Mr.  Bourne,  in  a  proud 
manner,  "What  are  you  teaching  us?  Why  do  you 
not  instruct  us  in  English,  and  other  things  besides 
religion  ?"  But  in  a  few  days  he  came  to  him,  and 
said  he  had  been  reading  the  words  of  Christ,  "  He 
that  despiseth  you,  despiseth  me,"  and  had  been  so 
troubled  on  account  of  his  bad  behavior,  that  he  had 
neither  been  able  to  eat  nor  sleep  till  he  had  con- 
fessed his  sin. 

I  have  told  you  also,  that  the  people  gave  their 
property  willingly  to  the  missionary  society ;  yet  this 
was  not  always  the  case. 

One  day  a  man  came  to  Pomare  with  five  bam- 
boos of  oil,  and  said,  angrily,  "  Take  them  for  your 
society." 

"No,"  said  Pomare,  "I  will  not  mix  your  angry 
bamboos  with  the  missionary  oil ;  take  them  away." 


174  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

The  man  returned  with  his  .bamboos,  much  morti- 
fied at  the  disgrace  of  being  refused,  but  I  do  not 
know  whether  he  was  sensible  of  his  sin. 

The  preaching  of  the  word  was,  however,  often 
much  blessed  to  the  consciences  of  the  people.  Once 
Mr.  Nott  preached  a  sermon  on  the  words,  "  Let  him 
that  stole,  steal  no  more."  In  the  sermon  he  said, 
it  was  a  duty  to  return  things  that  had  formerly 
been  stolen. 

The  next  morning,  when  he  opened  his  door,  he 
saw  a  number  of  natives  sitting  on  the  ground  around 
his  dwelling.  He  was  surprised  to  see  them  there 
so  early,  and  asked  them  the  reason  of  their  coming. 
They  replied,  "We  have  not  been  able  to  sleep  all 
night ;  we  were  at  chapel  yesterday,  and  heard  you 
say  from  the  word  of  God,  that  Jehovah  commanded 
us  not  to  steal ;  whereas  we  used  to  worship  Hiro, 
and  to  think  that  he  would  protect  thieves.  We 
have  stolen  :  all  these  things  that  we  have  brought 
with  us  are  stolen  goods." 

Then  one  of  the  men  held  up  a  saw,  saying,  "  I 
stole  this  from  the  carpenter  of  such  a  ship."  Others 
held  up  knives  and  various  tools. 

Mr.  Nott,  who  had  taught  them  that  it  was  wrong 
to  receive  stolen  goods,  replied,  "What  have  you 
brought  them  to  me  for  ?  Take  them  home,  and 
wait  till  the  ships  from  which  you  stole  them,  come 
again,  and  then  return  them,  with  a  present  besides." 


THE    WOMEN   INSTRUCTED.  175 

Still  the  people  entreated  Mr.  Nott  to  keep  the  things 
till  they  could  find  the  owners. 

Some  of  them,  who  had  stolen  some  things  from  a 
missionary  who  was  now  in  another  island,  took  a 
voyage  of  seventy  miles  to  restore  the  articles. 

When  the  natives  found  any  property  on  the 
ground,  such  as  knives,  or  tools,  they  would  not 
keep  it  themselves.  Still,  however,  there  were  some 
thieves,  who  were  punished  by  the  judges,  when 
they  were  discovered. 

This  autumn  two  men  were  even  sentenced  to 
death,  for  rising  up  against  the  king.  They  were 
hanged  upon  a  cocoa-nut  tree,  and  then  taken  down 
and  buried. 

The  missionaries'  wives  took  much  pains  to  im- 
prove the  women.  They  held  weekly  meetings  with 
them  to  give  them  instruction  in  religion.  It  was 
touching  to  hear  the  mothers,  at  these  meetings,  la- 
ment the  children  they  had  murdered.  Some  said 
that  the  thoughts  of  their  slaughtered  babes  tor- 
mented them  constantly-  One  of  them  inquired, 
"Ought  I  to  go  to  Jesus  Christ  for- pardon?  Were 
any  murderers  of  their  own  children  forgiven?" 

They  were  told  that  the  blood  of  Christ  cleanseth 
from  all  sin.  We  read  also  in  the  Bible  that  Ma- 
nasseh,  king  of  Judah,  made  his  son  to  pass  through 
the  fire,  and  was  forgiven.  This  instance,  perhaps, 
may  have  comforted  some  mothers. 


J76  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

In  some  of  the  islands,  great  changes  now  took 
place  in  the  houses  and  clothes  of  the  natives.  Po- 
mare  did  not  like  new  customs,  so  that  his  people 
did  not  improve  so  quickly  in  these  respects,  as  the 
natives  of  Raiatea  and  Huahine. 

In  those  islands,  the  people  were  busily  employed 
in  building  white  cottages.  They  obtained  the  white 
plaster  in  a  singular  manner.  At  a  little  distance 
from  the  shore,  beneath  the  sea,»there  were  immense 
walls  of  white  coral,  called  reefs.  The  people 
brought  large  blocks  of  this  coral  to  land  upon  rafts, 
and  then  burnt  the  coral  in  pits,  filled  with  wood. 
The  coral  crumbled  into  powder,  and  dropped  to  the 
bottom  of  the  pit ;  and  with  this  white  powder,  the 
natives  made  plaster  for  their  new  houses.  They 
built  them  of  wood,  and  thatched  them  with  palm 
leaves.  As  they  had  no  glass,  they  were  obliged  to 
be  satisfied  with  wooden  lattices,  and  shutters.  Most 
of  the  houses  had  rooms  only  on  one  floor ;  but  some, 
belonging  to  the  chiefs,  had  upper  rooms.  They 
were  generally  surrounded  by  gardens,  or  planta- 
tions ;  and  a  few  had  verandahs,  as  a  shelter  from 
the  heat,  or  covered  balconies,  where  the  inhabitants 
might  enjoy  the  sea-breezes,  and  an  extensive  view. 
They  were  as  comfortable  inside,  as  they  were  pretty 
outside,  being  furnished  with  wooden  tables  and  sofas, 
and  the  windows  hung  with  white  curtains,  made  of 
cloth  of  bark,  adorned  with  a  painted  border  of  leaves. 


NEW    CUSTOMS.  177 

Each  native  built  his  cottage  on  the  spot  that 
pleased  him  best.  One,  preferring  the  edge  of  the 
.  sea,  erected  his  on  coral  blocks,  placed  beneath  the 
water ;  another,  chose  the  shade  of  a  grove ;  and  a 
third,  the  pure  air  and  fine  prospect  of  the  mountain 
side ;  but  all  fixed  their  abodes  near  some  chapel 
where  a  missionary  preached,  excepting  a  few  who 
lived  on  their  lands  in  the  valleys.  In  every  village 
a  narrow  road  skirted  the  shore,  and  in  many,  a  coral 
pier,  or  path  into  the  sea,  was  built  to  assist  in  land- 
ing and  embarking. 

These  beautiful  villages  now  adorned  the  shores 
of  those  islands,  where  savages  once  roamed  from 
place  to  place,  lodging  at  night  in  open  sheds,  like 
beasts  of  the  field. 

The  natives  began  also  to  exchange  their  loose 
garments  for  English  dresses.  The  missionaries' 
wives  took  pains  to  teach  the  women  to  make  these 
clothes,  and  to  induce  all  to  wear  them. 

Mrs.  Crook  and  Mrs.  Nott  made  some  loose  calico 
dressing-gowns  for  Pomare,  and  afterwards  a  few  of 
the  women  made  them  for  their  husbands,  and  then 
for  themselves.  Mrs.  Ellis  made  a  bonnet  of  leaves 
for  her  little  girl,  and  a  hat  of  plaited  leaves  for  her 
husband.  The  women  soon  learned  to  plait,  and 
made  hats  and  bonnets,  not  only  of  leaves,  but  also 
of  strips  of  white  bark,  and  of  yellow  rushes,  and 
used  strips  of  native  cloth,  or  of  bark,  for  ribands. 

Night  of  Toil.  -I  r> 


178  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

Shoes  and  stockings,  coats  and  shirts,  were  pro- 
cured by  many  natives  from  the  ships,  and  worn 
upon  particular  occasions.  Few  persons  could  afford 
to  wear  English  clothes  every  day,  or  could  even 
obtain  a  complete  suit.  It  was  common  to  see  a 
man  with  a  hat  and  shoes,  without  stockings,  or  a 
shirt.  Sometimes  the  clothes  were  put  on  in  a  very 
curious  manner.  A  white  shirt  has  been  placed 
over  a  long  black  coat,  because  the  owner  was  un- 
willing to  hide  the  shirt  by  placing  it  under  the  coat. 
The  natives,  however,  soon  learned  to  laugh  at  such 
mistakes  as  this. 

The  reason  that  the  missionaries  encouraged  the 
people  to  dress  in  the  English  fashion  was,  because 
it  helped  to  correct  one  of  their  chief  faults,  which 
was  idleness.  Food  was  procured  so  easily  that  the 
natives  were  not  accustomed  to  labor,  and  were  still 
disposed  to  waste  much  of  their  time  in  sleeping  and 
talking*. 

I  have  before  observed,  that  Pomare  did  not  like 
new  customs.  He  did  not  choose  entirely  to  adopt 
the  English  mode  of  dress,  and  he  placed  a  native 
tiputa  over  the  shirt  he  usually  wore.  But  though 
he  did  not  like  English  fashions,  he  still  loved  Eng- 
lish arts,  and  employed  much  of  his  time  in  writing. 

He  had  a  little  shed  built  near  his  great  house  at 
Matavai,  and  he  spent  whole  days  shut  up  there 
with  Mr.  Nott,  helping  him  to  correct  the  gospel  of 


POMARE'S   INCONSISTENT    CONDUCT.       179 

St.  John,  and  the  Acts,  which  Mr.  Nott  had  just 
translated,  and  copying  them  out,  while  he  lay  upon 
his  chest  on  the  floor.  He  took  great  pains  also  to 
compose  a  dictionary,  and  collected  many  thousands 
of  words  for  the  purpose. 

Though  he  was  so  useful  to  the  missionaries,  he 
continued  to  grieve  them  by  many  great  faults  in 
his  conduct.  He  often  bought  spirits  of  the  sailors 
that  visited  the  islands,  and  drank  to  excess.  Yet, 
strange  to  say,  he  would  allow  no  stills  in  his  king- 
dom, lest  his  subjects  should  indulge  in  drinking 
spirits.  And  he  continued  to  have  family  worship 
morning  and  evening,  and  often  sat  with  twenty  at- 
tendants around  him,  reading  the  Scriptures  with 
them  verse  by  verse,  and  afterwards  either  engaged 
in  prayer  himself,  or  asked  one  of  these  attendants  to 
undertake  the  office. 


180  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE    STRANGERS    FROM   THE   SOLITARY    ISLE. 

As  we  have  been  obliged  to  speak  of  the  faults  of 
king  Pomare,  it  will  be  the  more  pleasant  to  relate 
some  good  things  that  he  did.  He  went  to  a  little 
island,  called  High  Island,  or  Raivavai,  which  was 
four  hundred  miles  from  Tahiti,  where  he  found  the 
people  fighting  against  each  other.  He  entreated 
the  chiefs  to  be  reconciled,  and  succeeded  in  persuad- 
ing them  to  leave  off  war,  and  to  cast  away  their 
idols,  and  appointed  two  excellent  natives  of  Tahiti, 
whom  he  had  brought  with  him,  to  teach  the  inhab- 
itants. As  the  people  in  this  island  considered  Po 
mare  to  be  their  king,  he  left  this  command  before 
he  departed  :  "Watch,  and  see  ;  the  man  who  stirs 
up  war  again,  let  him  be  put  to  death." 

A  few  months  afterwards  a  ship  came  to  the  island, 
and  the  captain  was  astonished  to  find  the  inhabi- 
tants crowded  into  a  large  chapel,  and  above  a  hun- 
dred persons,  who  could  not  enter,  standing  outside. 
He  heard  that  all  the  inhabitants  had  abandoned 
their  idols,  and  had  turned  some  of  them  into  stools 
for  their  chapel. 

There  were  ma,ny  more  little  islands,  which  had 
now  abolished  the  worship  of  idols,  and  left  off  war, 
through  the  instructions  of  native  teachers. 


BIRTH    OF    A    PRINCE.  13] 

The  six  missionaries  who  now  lived  at-  Tahiti,  did 
not  all  reside  in  one  place,  as  the  first  missionaries 
had  done,  but  were  stationed  in  different  villages. 

Mr.  Crook  was  settled  at  Pa-pe-e-te,  a  place  about 
eight  miles  from  Matavai.  Here  also  the  queen  and 
her  sister,  and  the  little  princess  Aimata,  resided,  and 
were  in  consequence  very  often  with  Mr.  Crook  and 
his  family,  to  whom  they  became  much  attached. 
Aimata  went  regularly  to  school,  and  improved  rap- 
idly. The  queen  and  her  sister  attended  both  the 
school  and  Mrs.  Crook's  meetings  for  the  instruction 
of  women.  This  conduct  was  pleasing  in  persons  of 
their  high  station,  and  showed  humility  of  mind, 
that  gave  hope  of  increasing  piety. 

In  June  a  very  important  event  occurred  in  the 
royal  family.  The  queen  became  the  mother  of  a 
little  boy.  The  king,  who  usually  resided  near  the 
Royal  Mission  Chapel  at  Papao,  came  immediately 
to  see  his  wife  and  son.  He  appeared  pleased,  and 
expressed  his  wish  that  no  one  but  Mrs.  Crook  should 
touch  the  infant :  she  took  it,  and  dressed  it  like  an 
English  baby.  As  Mrs.  Crook,  however,  could  not 
always  attend  to  it,  the  queen's  sister  became  the 
baby's  nurse ;  though  it  was  generally  at  the  house 
of  Mrs.  Crook,  who  was  called  its  mother,  because 
the  king  had  given  her  the  principal  charge  of  it. 
Little  Mary  Crook  was  also  called  its  mother,  because 
she  had  been  chosen  by  the  queen,  according  to  the 


182  THE    NIGHT  OF   TOIL. 

old  custom,  as  her  particular  friend,  and  she  em- 
ployed herself  diligently  in  making  clothes  for  the 
young  prince. 

You  have  already  heard  that  the  Gospel  spread 
from  island  to  island  in  the  South  Seas;  but  the 
manner  in  which  it  came  to  one  of  them  is  so  re- 
markable, that  it  must  be  related. 

There  was  a  little  island  called  Ru-ru-tu,  that  lay 
so  many  hundred  miles  from  those  where  the  breth- 
ren labored,  that  it  had  never  even  been  heard  of  in 
them.  Though  it  was  only  seven  miles  long,  it  was 
so  fruitful  that  six  thousand  people  inhabited  it.  At 
length  it  was  visited  by  a  dreadful  plague,  which 
mowed  down  the  people  like  grass,  till  only  three  or 
four  hundred  remained  alive. 

Amongst  the  chiefs  of  Rurutu,  was  a  young  man 
named  A-u-u-ra.  He  felt  a  great  desire  to  leave  the 
island,  which  he  feared  would  soon  be  his  grave. 
The  thought  came  also  into  his  heart,  that  in  some 
other  land  he  should  hear  something  good,  although 
he  knew  not  what.  Auura  persuaded  some  of  his 
friends  to  accompany  him  in  a  large  canoe.  His 
wife  also  went  with  him.  There  were  in  all  twenty- 
five  persons  in  the  canoe,  and  a  good  store  of  food 
and  water.  They  arrived  at  length  at  a  heathen 
island  called  Tu-bu-ai,  a  hundred  miles  off,  where 
they  were  treated  well,  and  their  health  was  restored. 
After  some  time  had  passed,  they  set  sail  to  return 


THE    TEMPESTUOUS   VOYAGE.  183 

to  their  native  island,  hoping  either  to  find  the  plague 
abated,  or  to  persuade  the  inhabitants  to  remove  to 
a  happier  spot,  as  they  feared  that  the  curse  of  the 
gods  rested  on  their  country.  During  their  voyage  a 
tempest  arose,  which  drove  them  out  of  their  course. 
They  rowed  day  after  day,  but  could  see  no  land :  at 
length  their  food  and  their  water  were  spent ;  they 
could  only  refresh  themselves  with  sea-water,  and 
they  grew  so  weak  that  they  often  were  obliged  to 
suffer  their  canoe  to  float  idly  upon  the  water,  while 
their  terror  was  increased  by  the  fear  lest  they  should 
be  swallowed  up  by  the  evil  spirit  of  the  waters. 
Yet  He,  who  holds  the  wind  in  his  fists,  was  guiding 
their  little  vessel  to  a  right  haven. 

After  three  weeks  spent  at  sea,  they  saw  land. 
It  was  one  of  the  Christian  islands,  and  was  called 
Ma-u-pi-ti.  The  astonishment  of  the  strangers  was 
great  to  find  people  dwelling  in  white  cottages,  cloth- 
ed from  head  to  foot,  and  to  see  men  and  women 
eating  together.  They  now  heard  for  the  first  time 
of  the  unseen  God,  and  they  appeared  struck  with 
what  they  heard,  and  anxious  to  learn  to  read.  They 
did  not  stay  at  this  island,  but  proceeded  to  Raiatea, 
where  they  were  kindly  received  by  Mr.  Williams 
and  Mr.  Threlkeld.  These  brethren  immediately 
desired  some  of  the  natives  to  teach  the  strangers  to 
read.  Auura  and  his  wife  paid  very  great  attention 
to  all  the  instructions  they  received,  but  some  of  the 


184  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

others  appeared  slothful.  Auura  asked  many  sensi- 
ble questions,  and  expressed  a  great  desire  to  return 
to  his  own  land  to  tell  his  poor  dying  countrymen  the 
wonderful  news  of  a  Saviour  ;  for  he  was  one  of  those 
"  strangers"  of  whom  God  says  in  the  eighteenth 
psalm,  "As  soon  as  they  hear  of  me,  they  shall  obey 
iae."  God  seems  to  have  prepared  his  heart  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  receive  the  Gospel  with  gladness. 

In  a  few  months  Auura  could  both  read  and  write, 
and  was  ready  to  return  to  his  own  land ;  but  he 
could  not  venture  to  make  so  long  a  voyage  in  the 
canoe  in  which  he  had  arrived. 

At  this  time  a  ship  visited  the  island.  It  was  the 
Hope,  commanded  by  Captain  Grimes.  The  captain 
kindly  offered  to  take  Auura  and  his  companions 
back  to  the  island  of  Rurutu. 

When  Auura  heard  this  proposal  he  was  delighted. 
Only  one  thing  grieved  him,  he  felt  he  was  not  fit 
to  instruct  the  people  of  Rurutu ;  and  yet  how  could 
he  hope  that  a  teacher  would  accompany  him  to  his 
distant  land?  But  though  the  missionaries  could 
not  go  with  him  themselves,  they  determined  to  see 
whether  any  other  persons  would  accompany  the 
strangers.  That  evening  they  sent  for  all  the  people 
who  professed  openly  to  love  Christ  by  taking  the 
Lord's  supper,  and  inquired  whether  any  would  go 
and  dwell  in  Rurutu.  Two  natives  arose,  and  said, 
"Here  are  we;  send  us."  Their  names  were  Ma- 


NATIVE    MISSIONARIES.  185 

he-mc-ne  and  Pu-na.  The  missionaries  agreed  to 
send  them,  as  well  as  their  wives  and  little  children, 
for  one  of  them  had  two  children. 

That  whole  night  these  two  good  men  spent  in 
preparing  to  leave  their  native  land,  in  order  to  sail 
next  morning. 

There  was  another  plan  that  the  missionaries  had 
formed.  They  wished  to  learn  the  way  to  Rurutu ; 
so  they  asked  the  captain  to  tie  one  of  their  boats  to 
his  ship,  and  they  desired  some  of  the  natives  to  go 
with  the  ship,  and  to  return  in  the  boat.  By  this 
means  they  hoped  the  natives  would  learn  the  way 
to  Rurutu,  so  that  they  should  be  able  to  send  men 
to  it  whenever  they  pleased. 

This  was  a  busy  night  indeed.  Every  body  in  the 
chapel  went  home  to  find  some  present  to  give  the 
native  missionaries  at  parting.  One  brought  a  razor, 
another  a  knife,  another  a  roll  of  cloth,  another  a  few 
nails.  The  missionaries  gave  spelling-books,  and, 
what  was  most  valuable  of  all,  a  few  copies  of  St. 
Matthew's  Gospel,  which  Mr.  Davies  had  translated. 
As  there  was  some  difference  between  the  language 
of  Rurutu  and  of  the  Christian  islands,  it  was  diffi- 
cult for  Auura  to  understand  the  books,  but  he  could 
make  out  the  meaning  with  pains.  It  was  intended 
that  other  books  should  soon  be  written. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  missionaries  and  many 
of  the  people  prayed  in  the  chapel  with  those  who 


186  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

were  going  to  depart,  and  then  accompanied  them 
to  the  ship. 

How  anxious  the  people  left  behind  were  to  know 
whether  Auura  would  find  any  of  his  countrymen 
living,  and  whether  he  would  be  able  to  persuade 
them  to  turn  from  idols  to  the  living  and  true 
God. 

On  July  the  5th  they  parted  from  the  strangers. 
On  August  the  9th  they  beheld  the  boat  that  the 
captain  had  taken  in  tow  returning.  And  what  do 
you  think  it  brought  with  it  ?  Some  prisoners,  deaf, 
dumb,  blind,  lame,  who  having  eyes  saw  not,  and 
having  ears  heard  not — the  frightful  idols  of  Rurutu. 

Besides  these,  the  boat  brought  letters  from  Mahe- 
mene  to  Pomare,  and  also  from  Auura.  The  mis 
sionaries  knew,  from  seeing  the  idols,  that  these  let- 
ters contained  good  news.  However,  they  were  anx- 
ious to  know  the  particulars.  The  men  also  who 
returned  in  the  boat,  related  many  things  that  had 
happened.  I  will  give  you  a  short  account  of  them. 

When  Auura  and  his  companions  first  reached  Ru- 
rutu, the  people  were  much  surprised  to  see  them, 
for  they  thought  they  had  been  eaten  up  by  the  evil 
spirit  of  the  waters.  Auura  on  his  part  was  glad 
to  find  that  his  countrymen  had  not  all  perished  by 
the  plague.  The  king  of  the  island  was  a  youth 
about  seventeen  years  old.  He  received  Auura 
kindly,  and  permitted  him  to  hold  a  great  meeting 


AUURA'S    PROPOSAL.  187 

af  the  inhabitants  very  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the 
boat. 

You  know  why  Auura  wished  such  a  meeting  to 
be  held.  He  wanted  to  propose  to  the  people  giving 
up  their  idols.  One  circumstance  had  already  oc- 
curred which  had  made  the  people  doubt  the  power 
of  their  idols. 

The  teachers,  on  first  landing,  had  accidentally 
knelt  down,  to  return  thanks  to  God,  upon  a  part  of 
the  shore  sacred  to  Oro,  and  yet  had  not  died,  as  the 
people  had  expected.  They  and  some  others  had 
afterwards  eaten  upon  a  sacred  spot,  and  the  women 
had  eaten  with  their  husbands,  and  had  partaken  of 
hog  and  turtle.  The  Rurutans  looked  earnestly  at 
them,  as  the  barbarians  once  did  at  Paul,  expecting 
some  to  have  swollen,  or  fallen  down  dead  suddenly ; 
but  when  they  saw  no  harm  come  to  them,  they 
thought  that  the  gods  would  come  in  the  night  and 
kill  them,  and  one  man  actually  went  that  night  to 
inquire  whether  Auura' s  wife  was  still  alive.  But 
when  in  the  morning  they  found  the  new-comers  all 
well  and  safe,  they  began  to  suspect  that  they  them- 
selves had  been  deceived  by  the  evil  spirit. 

In  this  frame  of  mind  they  assembled  according 
to  Auura's  request. 

Auura  spoke  first.  He  said,  "Friends,  this  is  my 
desire,  and  therefore  am  I  come  back  to  this  land, 
that  you  may  know  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God, 


188  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

and  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  enlightening  our 
hearts,  and  the  mercy  of  God  towards  us.  This  is 
my  desire :  Let  the  evil  spirit  be  this  instant  cast 
into  the  fire ;  is  it  agreeable  to  you,  kings  and  chiefs  ? 
Shall  we  burn  the  evil  spirit  even  now  ?  Shall  we 
overthrow  his  kingdom  ?  Let  us  no  more  worship 
him.  Let  him  have  no  more  reign  in  our  hearts. 
Let  the  government  of  these  Httle  lands  become  Je- 
hovah's." Then  Auura  proposed  that  they  should  all, 
both  men  and  women,  assemble  and  eat  together  in 
one  place,  and  see  whether  they  should  really  die,  as 
the  evil  spirit  had  said. 

The  king  and  chiefs  consented  to  this  proposal, 
and  replied,  "We  are  glad  because  of  your  saying, 
'  Burn  the  evil  spirits  in  the  fire.'  "  They  also  ex- 
pressed their  great  surprise  when  they  were  told  that 
they  had  souls  within  them.  Auura  then  asked  them 
to  promise  to  be  kind  to  the  two  teachers ;  and  the 
king  and  chiefs  promised  that  they  would. 

There  were,  however,  two  men  in  the  assembly, 
who  did  not  like  the  idea  of  burning  the  gods.  One 
of  them  spoke  in  a  deceitful  manner,  saying,  "  We 
will  hold  the  good  word,"  not  meaning  to  do  so. 

The  other  boasted,  that  he  could  fly  up  into  the 
sky;  but  Auura  answered  him,  "Do  fly  up,  let  us 
see  you  flying  up  immediately :"  then  he  added,  "  The 
people  of  Rurutu  have  been  completely  destroyed 
through  thee,  and  through  thee  alone,  and  now  thou 


IDOLS   OF    RURUTU    BURNED.  189 

not  deceive  us  again.  "We  know  the  true  God. 
Begone !  If  the  Son  of  God  stood  in  our  presence, 
thou  wouldst  be  ashamed." 

The  two  teachers  then  spoke  very  affectionately 
to  the  people.  Puna  concluded  his  speech  with  this 
awful  warning :  "  Should  you  not  listen  to  this  word, 
you  will  die,  and  you  will  bear  the  wrath  of  God, 
and  you  will  be  led  by  the  evil  spirit  you  have  now 
cast  away,  into  the  fire  of  hell ;  but  if  you  regard 
the  word  and  name  of  the  Son  of  God,  you  will  by 
that  means  be  saved." 

The  next  day  the  people  met  together  to  eat,  ac- 
cording to  agreement;  but,  though  they  ate  in  a 
sacred  place,  and  though  women  ate  with  men,  and 
partook  of  hog  and  turtle,  no  harm  followed.  The 
people  would,  no  doubt,  have  been  afraid  of  making 
the  experiment,  if  God  had  not  prepared  them  for 
it,  by  letting  them  see  others  escape  unhurt. 

That  very  evening  the  people  burnt  their  idols 
and  their  temples.  They  spared,  however,  a  few  of 
the  idols,  that  they  might  send  them  in  triumph  to 
the  Christian  islands.  Auura  and  the  teachers  soon 
began  to  instruct  them  about  the  true  God,  and  his 
Son  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  to  teach  them  to  read. 
Auura  was  so  diligent,  that  he  even  went  from  house 
to  house,  morning  and  evening,  to  pray  in  many  of 
the  families,  because  they  knew  not  how  to  pray 
themselves. 


190  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

Such  was  the  wonderful  account  that  the  letters 
from  Rurutu  contained.  The  missionaries  in  Raiatea 
were  anxious  both  to  return  public  thanks  to  God, 
and  to  let  all  the  natives  hear  the  joyful  news.  They 
assembled  one  evening  in  the  chapel,  when  three  of 
the  natives  who  were  called  deacons,  because  they 
helped  the  minister,  held  up  the  idols  in  the  pulpit, 
before  the  congregation.  One  of  these  was  hollow, 
and  filled  with  a  quap^ity  of  little  gods,  and  with 
the  points  of  spears.  There  was  great  rejoicing  in 
Raiatea  that  evening,  but  surely  not  so  great  as 
among  the  angels  of  heaven. 


THE   KING'S  FATAL  ILLNESS.  191 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE   DEATH   OF   POMARE   II. 

TOWARDS  the  close  of  the  year  1821,  Pomare  was 
attacked  with  a  dropsy,  which  threatened  his  life. 
He  determined,  therefore,  for  the  benefit  of  his  health, 
to  sail  round  the  island  of  Eimeo ;  but  gaining  no 
benefit  from  his  voyage,  he  removed  to  Papeete  in 
Tahiti,  where  Mr.  Crook,  who  understood  medicine, 
lived.  The  king  did  not  reside  upon  the  shore,  but 
in  a  very  little  round  island  opposite  the  harbor, 
where  he  and  some  of  his  chiefs  had  houses  beneath 
the  shade  of  the  tall  cocoa-nut  trees.  By  the  desire 
of  the  brethren,  a  day  was  appointed  for  fasting  and 
prayer  for  the  king's  recovery. 

As  soon  as  the  sun  arose  on  that  day,  Mr.  Crook 
and  several  chiefs  visited  the  king,  and  prayed  with 
him  around  his  bed.  Afterwards,  there  were  ser- 
vices held  in  the  chapel.  The  king's  dropsy,  how- 
ever, increased.  On  the  7th  of  December,  Mr.  Crook 
heard  that  Pomare  had  just  had  a  fainting-fit.  He 
hastened  to  him,  and  found  him  sensible,  and  able  to 
understand  a  few  sentences  about  God  and  his  soul. 
As  the  king  soon  revived  a  little,  Mr.  Crook  returned 
home.  In  the  evening  Pomare  fainted  again,  and 
Mr,  Crook  was  again  sent  for.  Mr.  Crook  then  said 


J92  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

to  him,  "  I  would  gladly  do  for  you  what  I  can,  hut 
I  fear  my  hest  will  be  of  little  avail.  You  have  in- 
deed been  a  great  sinner,  but  Christ  is  a  great  Sav- 
iour, and  none  but  Jesus  can  help  you  now."  Pomare 
replied,  "  None  but  Jesus."  These  were  his  last 
words.  He  then  fell  into  a  kind  of  stupor.  The 
queen  and  her  sister  hung  over  him,  weeping  aloud. 
One  of  his  cousins  also  wept  bitterly,  but  his  little 
daughter  Aimata  did  not  appear  much  moved.  Mr. 
Crook  sat  at  the  foot  of  the  bed  with  the  young  prince 
in  his  arms,  mournfully  watching  the  king's  counte- 
nance. At  eight  o'clock  that  evening,  Pomare  ceased 
to  breathe. 

Mr.  Crook  then  knelt  down  with  the  afflicted 
family,  and  offered  up  a  short  prayer.  Immediately 
afterwards  a  general  weeping  began,  and  cries  of, 
"  Alas,  alas,  our  king  !"  The  queen  and  her  sister 
repeated,  in  a  singing  tone,  "  'Twas  he  who  brought  us 
hither,  and  now,  alas,  alas,  for  the  children."  Each 
person  who  stood  near,  uttered  some  mournful  words 
in  a  singing  tone,  describing  his  own  loss  in  particu- 
lar, while  tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks. 

A  coffin  was  made  for  Pomare,  and  a  small  house 
was  built  for  a  tomb,  near  the  Royal  Mission  Chapel. 
Four  days  after  the  king's  death,  his  body  was  placed 
in  this  small  white  dwelling,  beneath  the  shade  of 
spreading  trees.  All  the  missionaries  were  present, 
and  a  multitude  of  people.  Mr.  Nott  addressed  the 


DEATH   OF    POMARE    II.  193 

people  at  the  grave,  and  Mr.  Henry  prayed  over  it 
that  God  would  bless  the  event  to  those  who  still 
lived. 

Thus  died  Pomare  II.,  at  the  age  of  forty-seven 
years. 

Every  one  who  has  read  this  history  must  already 
be  acquainted  with  his  character.  He  possessed  good 
abilities,  great  perseverance,  and  a  fondness  for  study ; 
he  was  of  a  stubborn  and  reserved  temper,  and  was 
disposed  to  pride,  covetousness,  deceit,  and  intemper- 
ance ;  but  the  most  odious  part  of  his  natural  char- 
acter was  his  treachery.  He  had,  however,  been  a 
friend  to  the  missionaries,  and  a  blessing  to  his  peo- 
ple ;  he  appeared  to  believe  the  word  of  God  himself, 
and  persuaded  many,  while  he  forced  none,  to  turn 
from  idols.  The  last  day  will  show  whether  he  was 
a  child  of  God  ;  for  the  numerous  faults  that  appeared 
in  him  to  the  last,  rendered  it  doubtful  to  whom  he 
belonged. 

A  pious  chief,  named  Hautia,  said,  after  Pomare's 
death,  "  I  could  not  sleep  all  night  for  thinking  of 
Pomare.  I  was  like  a  canoe  rocking  on  the  stormy 
waves,  which  cannot  rest.  I  thought  of  his  body, 
and  I  said  in  my  heart,  '  That  is  dead,  and  will  be 
in  the  grave  ;  but  his  soul,  where  is  it  ?'  " 

How  many  kings  and  common  people,  as  Pomare 
himself  once  observed,  had  sunk  into  the  grave 
without  having  heard  of  Christ.  But  God  showed 

Night  of  ToU.  13 


194  THE    NIGHT   OF    TOIL. 

great  mercy  to  Pomare,  and  sent  to  him  the  news  of 
a  Saviour. 

How  sad  it  was  that  one  who  had  received  such 
singular  favors,  should  have  continued  in  bondage  to 
many  sins.  The  force  of  old  habits  of  iniquity  must 
indeed  have  been  stronger  than  we  can  imagine.  Yet 
it  was  not  too  strong  for  God's  Spirit  to  overcome,  if 
Pomare  had  diligently  sought  for  help. 

There  were,  however,  some  parts  of  his  charactei 
pleasant  to  reflect  upon.  His  attention  to  God's 
word,  his  respect  for  God's  ministers,  and  his  zeal  for 
the  spread  of  the  Gospel,  lead  us  to  hope  that  the 
root  of  the  matter  was  in  him,  and  that  when  multi- 
tudes shall  flock  from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  Pomare 
shall  come  from  the  islands  of  the  south  to  sit  down 
with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven. 

It  was  feared  by  many  that  much  confusion  would 
arise  in  the  kingdom,  in  consequence  of  the  death 
of  Pomare.  None,  however,  did  arise.  The  people 
accepted  Pomare's  little  son,  who  was  a  year  and  a 
half  old,  as  their  king.  As  so  young  a  child  could 
not  govern,  several  chiefs  had  been  appointed  by 
Pomare,  before  he  died,  to  govern  in  his  stead.  One 
of  these  had  more  authority  than  the  rest.  He  was 
an  old  man,  named  Ma-nao-nao.  He  behaved  in  an 
oppressive  manner,  claiming  many  gifts  from  tha 
people. 


THE    YOUNG    KING.  105 

The  young  king  was  called  Pomare  III.,  as  lie  was 
the  third  of  that  name  who  had  reigned  over  Tahiti. 

He  was  entirely  committed  to  the  care  of  his  aunt, 
Pomare  Vahine,  who  seemed  fit  for  the  charge.     She 
had  lately  been  admitted  to  the  Lord's  supper,  and 
was  both  more  correct  in  her  conduct,  and  more  ami 
able  in  her  manners,  than  the  child's  mother. 

Mr.  Nott  came  over  every  Sunday  from  Matavai, 
to  preach  in  the  Royal  Mission  Chapel,  which  was 
only  four  miles  off;  and  he  promised  to  come  and 
live  near  it,  as  soon  as  a  house  was  built  for  him,  and 
to  undertake  the  education  of  the  little  king. 

Pomare  Vahine  often  took  the  child  to  another 
house  belonging  to  her,  near  Mr.  Crook  at  Papeete. 
The  little  king  was  very  fond  of  Mr.  Crook's  family, 
which  consisted  of  nine  children,  and  with  whom  he 
had  been  a  great  deal  ever  since  he  was  born.  From 
being  so  much  with  them,  he  soon  began  to  speak 
English.  He  also  appeared  to  like  English  people 
better  than  natives,  and  to  prefer  their  food  and  all 
their  ways.  The  missionaries  were  glad  to  observe 
this  taste,  because  they  hoped,  that  when  he  was 
older,  he  would  delight  in  the  things  they  would 
teach  him,  and  hate  all  heathen  customs.  The  late 
king  Pomare  had  never  cast  off  some  of  them ;  for 
instance,  he  never  permitted  a  woman  to  eat  in  a 
house  where  he  had  been.  The  missionaries  were 
sorry  to  perceive  that  the  servants  of  the  little  king 


196  1HE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL 

had  some  heathen  ideas :  for  once  when  the  child 
touched  with  his  foot  some  fruit  that  was  lying  on 
the  ground,  the  servants  said,  "It  must  not  he  eaten, 
throw  it  away  ;"  because  they  thought  that  the  king, 
by  touching  it,  had  made  it  sacred.  It  is  very  long 
before  a  nation  can  get  rid  of  superstition,  and  follow 
no  rule  but  the  word  of  Grod. 

Many  natives  from  the  converted  islands  had  al- 
ready visited  heathen  islands  ;  but  none  had  yet  gone 
so  far  as  the  Marquesas,  which  were  a  thousand  miles 
off,  and  were  inhabited  by  a  very  wild  race.  Mr. 
Crook  had  lived  among  them  in  his  youth,  and  had 
been  obliged  to  leave  them  in  a  year  and  a  half.  To 
these  islands  the  missionaries  were  anxious  to  send 
two  native  teachers.  An  opportunity  of  conveying 
them  occurred  at  this  time,  for  a  ship  called  the  Mer- 
maid touched  at  Huahine,  and  offered  to  take  any 
persons  to  the  Marquesas. 

A  meeting  to  consult  upon  the  subject  was  held 
in  the  chapel  at  Huahine.  An  excellent  man,  named 
Hautia,*  was  regent  of  the  island  ;  for  the  queen  of 
the  island,  Pomare  Yahine,  lived  at  Tahiti.  Hautia 
sat  in  the  chair  at  this  meeting.  The  missionaries 
first  arose,  and  made  speeches  on  the  subject  of  choos- 
ing two  natives  for  the  Marquesas. 

Afterwards  Auna  rose — an  excellent  man,  yet  once 

*  Hautia  was  the  man  who  had  compared  himself  to  a  canoe 
upon  the  waves,  when  uneasy  on  account  of  Pomare's  soul. 


HAUTIA    AND    AUNA.  197 

a  priest  of  Hiro,  the  god  of  thieves.  His  form  was 
noble,  and  his  countenance  beamed  with  benevolence 
and  joy 

He  hesitated  before  he  spoke.  Auna  did  not  often 
hesitate.  It  was  plain  that  he  had  something  to  say 
that  lay  very  near  his  heart,  and  that  he  scarcely 
could  utter.  This  was  the  substance  of  his  speech  : 
"  It  is  a  good  thing  to  send  the  word  of  God  to  those 
who  are  in  the  same  state  that  we  once  were.  I  have 
a  little  speech  to  make — if  I  and  my  wife  might  be 
so  favored  as  to  be  sent  to  the  heathen  ;  but  perhaps 
we  are  not  worthy."  Auna  then  sat  down  with 
great  humility. 

Hautia  the  regent  then  rose,  and  said,  "  Auna  is 
the  man  to  go."  Others  exclaimed,  "  Auna  is  the 
man."  The  whole  assembly  agreed  that  Auna  and 
his  wife  .were  fit  persons  for  the  work,  for  they  were 
not  only  good,  and  able  to  teach  the  knowledge  of 
God,  but  the  wife  could  instruct  the  heathen  women 
in  platting  bonnets  and  making  clothes,  and  thus 
render  them  industrious.  A  man  who  had  such  a 
wife  as  Auna,  was  called  a  two-handed  man. 

Another  man  named  Mattatore,  and  his  wife,  were 
chosen  by  the  whole  assembly  to  accompany  Auna. 
It  only  remained  for  Hautia  to  express  his  wish  upon 
the  subject.  The  congregation  looked  towards  him, 
and  were  surprised  to  perceive  him  still  silent  and 
full  of  sadness.  At  length  he  rose,  arid  with  a  meek- 


198  THE   NLGIIT    OF   TOIL. 

ness  and  humility  which  appeared  very  lovely  in  this 
noble  and  majestic  chief,  said,  "  I  have  a  little  speech, 
because  a  thought  has  grown  up  in  my  heart,  and  in 
the  heart  of  my  wife,  Hautia  Vahine.  But  perhaps 
it  is  not  a  good  thought ;  yet  I  must  speak  it,  and 
this  is  our  thought.  If  the  missionaries  and  the 
church  of  Huahine  think  that  I  and  my  wife  are  fit 
to  be  companions  for  Auna  and  his  wife,  and  to  go 
and  teach  the  good  word  of  God  to  those  idolatrous 
people,  who  are  as  we  ivere,  we  should  be  rejoiced  to. 
go  ;  but  perhaps  we  are  not  worthy,  and  others  may 
be  much  better  suited  for  the  blessed  work  ;  yet  we 
should  love  to  go." 

The  whole  assembly  were  astonished  at  hearing 
this  proposal.  "Was  it  indeed  true  that  this  great 
chief,  who  was  almost  a  king,  desired  to  become  a 
teacher  of  savages  ?  "Was  he  willing  to  leave  the 
people  who  esteemed  him,  and  live  among  those  who 
would  despise  him  ;  to  forsake  his  comfortable  dwell- 
ing for  a  strange  land  ?  It  is  said  in  the  parable  of 
Jotham,  Judges  9,  that  the  olive-tree  would  not  leave 
his  fatness,  nor  the  fig-tree  his  sweetness,  even  to 
reign  over  the  trees ;  but  this  man  was  willing  to 
forsake  all,  that  he  might  be  the  servant  of  Christ. 

Mr.  Tyerman  and  Mr.  Bennet,  gentlemen,  who  had 
been  sent  out  from  England  to  visit  the  islands,  were 
much  delighted  by  this  proof  of  love  to  the  Redeemer. 
One  of  them  arose  and  addressed  the  noble  pair, 


MISSION    TO    THE   MARdUESAS.  199 

through  an  interpreter.  He  told  them  that  their 
wish  was  good,  but  that,  like  David's  wish  to  build' 
the  temple,  it  must  be  denied  ;  for  that  they  were  so 
useful  in  Huahine,  that  they  could  not  be  spared. 

Hautia  appeared  disappointed  at  this  reply,  and 
with  much  feeling  answered,  "  Since  you  say  so,  per- 
haps it  is  the  Lord's  will  that  we  should  not  go  to 
the  Marquesas,  but  stay  in  Huahine  ;  perhaps  we  may 
serve  God  better  here  :  be  it  so,  and  yet  I  wish  it  had 
fallen  to  me  and  my  wife  to  go." 

Auna  and  Mattatore  then  came  forward,  and  knelt 
at  the  table  before  the  pulpit.  Mr.  Ellis  then  prayed 
that  God  would  fit  them  for  the  undertaking,  and 
afterwards  Mr.  BarfF  delivered  to  them  a  solemn 
charge.  The  service  was  concluded  with  singing 
and  prayer.  Though  the  people  loved  Auna  and  his 
companions,  yet  they  were  willing  to  part  with  them 
for  so  holy  a  purpose  as  preaching  the  knowledge  of 
the  Saviour  among  the  heathen. 


200  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    ROYAL    MARRIAGE. 

WHILE  some  of  the  natives  of  the  South  Seas  were 
crossing  the  ocean  to  spread  the  Gospel,  those  at 
home  were  not  unmindful  of  the  blessed  cause.  In 
Tahiti  and  the  neighboring  islands  there  were  yearly 
meetings  or  anniversaries  of  the  Missionary  Society 
held  every  May. 

The  anniversary  held  at  the  Royal  Mission  Chapel 
this  year  was  particularly  interesting,  on  account  of 
the  presence  of  the  little  Pomare,  who  was  not  quite 
two  years  old.  He  was  chosen  president  of  the  soci- 
ety instead  of  his  father,  and  was  therefore  placed 
in  the  chair,  being  held  in  the  arms  of  a  chief  named 
Hitote.  It  was  delightful  to  behold  a  royal  infant 
in  such  a  situation.  What  throne  could  become  him 
so  well  as  the  seat  in  which  he  was  placed  for  the 
purpose  of  advancing  the  kingdom  of  Him  who  had 
given  him  a  kingdom,  and  who  is  himself  the  King 
of  kings  ?  Who  cannot  but  desire  that  every  mon 
arch,  both  young  and  old,  in  every  country  beneath 
the  sun,  occupied  such  a  post?  The  day,  however, 
shall  come  when  all  kings  shall  fall  down  before  the 
Son  of  God,  and  count  it  the  highest  honor  to  dp  him 
honor.  Ps.  72  :  11. 


COURT   OF  JUDGMENT.  201 

The  account  of  the  contributions  made  by  the  peo- 
ple during  the  year,  was  read  aloud  by  the  Upaparu. 
Though  nearly  ten  thousand  bamboos*  of  oil  had 
been  subscribed,  besides  twenty-four  pigs,  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty-seven  balls  of  arrowroot,  and  one 
hundred  and  ninety-one  baskets  of  cotton,  yet  the 
chiefs  regretted  that  the  amount  had  not  been  great- 
er, and  one  of  them  observed  in  his  little  speech, 
"  Where  do  we  lay  out  our  strength  ?  Is  it  for  God, 
or  the  devil  ?  For  this  world,  or  the  next  ?" 

Parents  in  former  times  did  not  correct  their  chil- 
dren, but  now  they  took  much  pains  with  their 
disobedient  children.  One  father,  who  had  a  very 
rebellious  son,  after  reproving  him,  placed  him  in  a 
basket  in  the  roof.  A  missionary  who  entered  was 
surprised  to  see  legs  hanging  down  from  the  ceiling, 
and  was  then  told  that  a  boy  was  in  the  basket,  and 
would  be  taken  down  by  and  by. 

There  were  many  rebellious  young  people  in  the 
islands,  who  committed  crimes  for  which  they  were 
brought  before  the  judges. 

Mr.  Bennet  and  Mr.  Tyerman  were  present  on 
one  of  these  occasions,  and  have  given  the  following 
account  of  it. 

The  court  of  judgment  they  visited  was  under  a 
large  spreading  tree,  near  the  chapel  at  Papetoai  in 
Eimeo.  Around  the  tree  long  benches  were  placed, 
*  A  bamboo  contains  nearly  three  quarts. 


202  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

on  which  thirty  chiefs,  who  were  judges,  sat.  The 
chief  judge  was  distinguished  from  the  rest  by  a 
bunch  of  black  and  red  feathers  in  his  straw  hat. 
In  other  respects  he  was  clothed,  like  the  rest,  in 
handsome  native  clothing.  The  criminals  were  two 
young  men  accused  of  stealing  breadfruit.  They 
were  led  in,  and  desired  to  sit  on  the  ground  beneath 
the  tree.  The  judge  rose,  and  calling  upon  the 
young  men  also  to  stand  up,  told  them  that  they 
were  certainly  guilty,  for  they  had  been  detected  in 
the  theft,  and  represented  to  them  how  great  a  fault 
they  had  committed. 

One  of  the  young  men  immediately  confessed  his 
guilt,  and  owned  that  he  had  persuaded  his  com- 
panion to  join  with  him  in  the  theft. 

It  was  pleasing  to  hear  this  frank  confession.  Such 
confessions  were  usually  made  by  the  guilty,  so  that 
witnesses  were  seldom  necessary.  The  chief  judge 
consulted  with  the  other  chiefs  respecting  the  pun- 
ishment to  be  inflicted  on  the  youths,  and  then  sen- 
tenced them  each  to  build  twenty-four  feet  of  wall 
round  a  royal  garden  of  taro.  The  culprits  were 
asked  whether  they  agreed  to  the  sentence,  and  they 
replied  that  they  did. 

The  usual  punishment  for  theft  was  to  restore  four 
times  as  much  as  the  value  of  the  thing  stolen,  but 
the  judges  were  allowed  to  appoint  any  other  pun- 
ishment, if  they  thought  fit.  This  was  a  defect  in 


SINGULAR    PUNISHMENTS.  203 

the  laws,  as  it  sometimes  led  people  to  think  they 
were  unjustly  treated.  Criminals  were  also  allowed 
to  receive  the  assistance  of  their  friends  in  performing 
the  tasks  appointed  them.  A  son  was  often  helped 
by  his  father  in  his  work,  and  a  young  chief  by  his 
companions. 

Very  strange  punishments  were  sometimes  inflicted 
upon  offenders.  In.  the  island  of  Raiatea,  two  deep 
pits  were  once  dug  on  the  side  of  a  hill ;  each  was 
about  fifteen  feet  deep,  and  was  smaller  at  the  top 
than  at  the  bottom,  so  that  it  appeared  impossible 
to  climb  up  the  sides.  A  woman  who  had  run  away 
from  her  husband  and  got  herself  tattooed,  was  put 
in  one  of  these  pits,  and  the  man  who  tattooed  her 
in  the  other.  They  were  told  they  must  remain 
there  till  they  asked  forgiveness,  and  promised  to 
return  to  their  duty.  While  they  continued  in  the 
pits,  they  were  fed  on  a  little  breadfruit  and  water. 

•  At  the  end  of  two  days,  some  loose  earth  falling 
upon  the  woman,  she  thought  a  spirit  was  coming  to 
torment  her,  and  by  making  very  great  efforts  she 
contrived  to  escape  from  her  prison,  and  returning 
home,  asked  her  husband  to  forgive  her,  which  he 
willingly  did.  After  some  time  the  man  also  showed 
signs  of  sorrow,  and  was  released. 

It  may  be  thought  hard  by  some,  that  people  were 
not  allowed  to  be  tattooed,  or  to  tattoo  others.  But 
the  chiefs  had  forbidden  these  practices,  for  very  wise 


204  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

reasons.  They  found  that  when  the  natives  chose 
to  be  tattooed,  they  soon  returned  to  many  other  of 
their  old  heathen  habits.  Ill-disposed  young  people 
were  very  determined  in  their  resolution  to  be  tat 
tooed,  and  would  have  one  limb  after  another  thus 
marked,  in  spite  of  a  punishment  after  each  offence. 

These  obstinate  offenders  were  made  useful  to  their 
country.  In  Tahiti  they,  as  well  as  other  criminals, 
began  a  broad  road,  that  was  to  be  made  all  round 
the  island.  In  many  places  they  brought  great 
blocks  of  coral  from  the  sea  to  build  piers.  The 
same  persons  might  often  be  seen  engaged  in  these 
fatiguing  labors.  It  seemed  surprising  that  they 
should  continue  in  sins  that  brought  upon  them  such 
severe  toil ;  but  the  servants  of  Satan  suffer  more  in 
the  service  of  their  master,  than  God's  most  diligent 
servants  do  in  his. 

The  only  way  to  prevent  tattooing  was  at  length 
found  to  be,  having  the  parts  that  were  marked,  dis- 
figured by  the  skin  being  taken  off,  and  foul  blotches 
left  where  beautiful  patterns  had  been  pricked  in. 

A  very  singular  punishment  was  once  inflicted  on 
four  men,  who  were  detected  in  a  house  with  a 
quantity  of  the  root  called  ava,  which  they  were 
going  to  prepare  for  drinking.  Some  men  were  sent 
to  take  away  the  house  from  over  the  heads  of  the 
offenders.  They  unfastened  the  roof,  and  carried  it 
away  on  their  shoulders  to  the  house  of  the  chief  of 


PLEASING    INSTANCE    OF    JUSTICE.          205 

the  district.  The  night  was  stormy,  and  the  culprits 
went  from  house  to  house  imploring  shelter,  but 
were  everywhere  denied,  the  people  telling  them 
they  were  bad  men,  with  whom  they  would  have 
nothing  to  do.  At  last  the  outcasts  came  to  the  mis- 
sionaries, and  were  allowed  to  take  refuge  in  a  shed 
from  the  torrents  of  rain  that  were  descending. 

On  one  occasion  Mr.  Bennet  and  Mr.  Tyerman 
observed  a  man  standing  outside  a  chapel  in  Tahiti. 
They  were  informed  that  he  had  been  in  a  passion, 
and  had  threatened  the  person  who  had  provoked 
him  to  kill  him,  and  deliver  him  to  be  eaten  by  his 
god.  For  uttering  this  curse,  the  man,  by  order  of 
the  chiefs,  was  shut  out  from  the  congregation  for 
one  Sabbath. 

A  pleasing  instance  of  justice  being  shown  to  the 
poor  occurred  in  Huahine.  Little  Pomare's  mother, 
the  queen,  once  visited  this  island,  and,  wanting 
some  wood,  ordered  her  servants  to  cut  down  a 
breadfruit  tree  that  grew  in  a  poor  man's  garden. 
Kings  and  queens  had  been  brought  up  to  oppress 
the  poor,  and  to  think  only  of  their  own  pleasure ; 
therefore  the  queen  was  surprised  when  she  was 
desired  to  appear  before  the  judge  the  next  morning. 
Trials  generally  took  place  at  sunrise,  when  the  air 
was  cool.  At  that  time  the  queen  with  her  train  of 
attendants  appeared  before  the  judge,  who  was  sit- 
ting beneath  the  shade  of  a  spreading  tree.  The 


206  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

queen  took  her  seat  before  him  upon  a  fine  mat. 
The  poor  man  began  by  making  his  complaint.  The 
judge  then  turning  to  the  queen,  said,  "  Do  you  not 
•  know  that  we  have  laws  ?" 

She  replied,  "  Yes,  but  I  did  not  know  they  ap- 
plied to  me." 

The  judge  then  asked  if  it  was  said  in  the  laws 
that  kings  and  queens  need  not  obey  them. 

She  answered,  "  No  ;"  and  then  sent  her  servants 
to  fetch  a  bag  of  money,  which  she  threw  down 
before  the  man. 

"  Stop,"  said  the  judge,  "  we  have  not  done  yet." 
The  queen  began  to  weep.  "  Do  you  think  it  was 
right,"  continued  the  judge,  "  to  cut  down  a  tree 
without  the  owner's  leave  ?" 

11  It  was  not  right,"  replied  the  queen. 

Then  the  judge  asked  the  poor  man  what  recom- 
pense he  required. 

The  man  replied,  "  If  the  queen  is  convinced  that 
it  was  not  right  to  take  a  poor  man's  tree  without 
his  leave,  I  am  sure  she  will  not  do  so  again.  I  am 
satisfied — I  require  no  other  recompense." 

The  people  who  stood  round  were  pleased  with 
this  answer.  I  believe  the  queen  afterwards  sent 
the  poor  man  a  present  equal  in  value  to  the  tree. 

It  is  evident  that  the  natives  were  rendered  much 
happier  by  the  laws  than  they  could  have  been 
without  them ;  for  the  judges  were  only  a  terror  to 


A    JOYFUL    FEAST.  207 

evil-doers,  and  protected  those  who  did  well.  There 
were,  however,  many  occasions  on  which  the  hap- 
piness of  the  people  was  openly  shown.  An  account 
of  one  of  these  joyful  feasts,  at  which  Mr.  Tyerman 
and  Mr.  Bennet  were  present,  shall  be  related. 

The  feast  took  place  in  the  island  of  Raiatea, 
where  Mr.  Williams  and  Mr.  Threlkeld  labored, 
and  where  the  people  had  adopted  more  English 
customs  than  in  almost  any  other  island. 

There  was  a  coral  pier  erected  upon  the  beach 
near  the  missionary  settlement.  Upon  this  pier  the 
feast  was  held.  A  thousand  persons  were  present. 
They  came  from  all  parts  of  the  island,  some  in  ca- 
noes and  some  on  foot,  bringing  with  them  both 
furniture  and  provisions.  At  break  of  day  the  prep- 
arations began.  Fresh  grass  was  spread  upon  the 
rough  coral  pavement  as  a  carpet,  and  a  native  cloth 
was  stretched  above  as  a  shelter  from  the  sun.  More 
than  a  hundred  tables,  which  the  natives  brought 
with  them,  were  placed  on  the  pier,  and  wooden 
sofas,  and  chairs,  and  stools,  were  ranged  around. 

Native  cloth,  or  matting,  was  used  for  tablecloths, 
and  various  kinds  of  dinner  things  were  set  out. 
Some  few  persons  had  plates  and  knives  and  forks 
from  England  ;  but  most  had  only  native  plates 
made  of  leaves,  and  such  spoons  as  they  themselves 
could  make.  Fruit  and  roots  were  the  principal 
food,  though  a  little  baked  hog  and  fish  were  also 


208  THE  NIGHT  OF   TOIL. 

seen.  At  noon  the  company  sat  down  to  dinner,  not 
omitting  to  ask  a  blessing  on  their  plentiful  provis- 
ions. Mr.  Bennet  and  Mr.  Tyerman,  with  the  mis- 
sionaries and  their  families,  were  seated  at  a  table, 
under  an  awning,  prepared  for  them,  and  looked  with 
delight  at  the  happy  assembly. 

At  each  table  fathers  and  mothers  were  surrounded 
by  smiling  boys  and  girls,  who  once  would  not  have 
been  allowed  to  eat  together,  and  many  of  whom 
would  long  ago  have  been  buried  in  the  earth,  had 
not  the  Gospel  of  salvation  been  made  known. 
After  dinner  several  chiefs  arose,  one  after  another, 
and  reminded  the  natives  of  the  blessings  they  en- 
joyed. 

One  of  them  observed,  "  A  few  years  ago,  at  a 
feast,  none  but  kings,  or  chiefs,  or  strong  men,  would 
have  got  any  thing  to  eat ;  the  poor,  and  the  lame, 
and  the  blind,  would  have  been  trampled  under 
foot,  and  probably  killed  in  the  rioting  and  drunk- 
enness of  the  feast." 

Another  chief  observed,  "  This  is  the  reign  of 
Jesus — that  was  the  reign  of  Satan.  Once  we  used 
to  flee  to  the  mountains  to  hide  ourselves,  lest  we 
should  be  slain  as  sacrifices  to  Oro,  and  we  were 
afraid  to  return  till  we  heard  that  a  victim  had  been 
offered." 

A  shower  of  rain  coming  on  in  the  afternoon,  the 
company  left  the  pier  and  took  shelter  among  the 


EVENING    OF    A    HAPPY    DAY.  209 

trees  on  the  shore.  When  the  rain  was  over,  they 
returned  to  drink  tea. 

It  may  well  be  asked,  How  could  they  procure  tea  ? 
A  few  had  obtained  a  little  tea  and  sugar  from  the 
ships,  and  thought  it  a  very  excellent  drink,  because 
it  was  so  rare.  But  even  warm  water  was  a  luxury 
to  the  natives ;  for,  as  they  had  formerly  no  vessels 
that  could  bear  the  fire,  they  were  once  unable  to 
boil  water. 

Many  kettles  and  frying-pans  were  produced  at 
teatime.  One  spoonful  of  tea  was  thought  sufficient 
to  put  in  a  kettle  of  water,  and  sugar  alone  was  used 
by  others,  for  few  persons  had  both  tea  and  sugar. 
The  chief  supply  indeed  was  taken  from  an  immense 
pan,  filled  with  water,  and  a  little  sugar. 

The  drinking  vessels  were  also  curious.  No  set 
of  tea-things  was  to  be  seen ;  but  a  mixture  of  tea- 
pots, cups,  jugs,  porringers,  glasses,  and  bottles,  with 
the  native  drinking- vessel — the  cocoa-nut  shell. 

When  tea  was  over,  the  assembly  began  to  prepare 
for  their  departure  by  packing  up  their  things  ;  and 
then,  either  bearing  their  tables  and  sofas  on  their 
shoulders,  or  placing  them  in  their  canoes,  they  re- 
turned home,  many  of  them,  no  doubt,  blessing  Him 
who  had  given  them  all  things  richly  to  enjoy. 

From  every  dwelling  the  sound  of  prayer  and 
praise  was  to  be  heard  ascending,  on  the  evening  of 
this  day  of  innocent  pleasure. 

Night  of  Toil.  ^4 


210  THE   NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

Nearly  at  the  same  time  that  this  feast  was  given 
in  Raiatea,  an  event  of  importance  took  place  in  the 
royal  family  of  Tahiti,  namely,  the  marriage  of  the 
princess  Aimata.  She  was  still  very  young,  and 
would  only  have  been  counted  a  child  in  England, 
but  in  Tahiti  she  was  considered  almost  grown  up. 
Some  time  before,  a  husband  had  been  chosen  for  her. 
fle  was  not  himself  a  king,  but  was  descended  from 
an  ancient  race  of  kings,  who  had  once  reigned  in  the 
island  of  Ta-ha-a.  He  was  an  orphan,  and  had  been 
committed  to  the  care  of  the  pious  king  who  then 
reigned  over  Tahaa.  It  was  hoped,  that  as  he  had 
received  a  Christian  education,  and  appeared  well 
disposed,  he  would  prove  a  worthy  husband  foi 
Aimata. 

The  marriage  ceremony  took  place  a  few  days  after 
their  first  meeting,  and  was  performed  in  the  chapel 
at  noon.  Mr.  Ellis  and  Mr.  BarfF,  the  missionaries 
at  Huahine,  took  their  station  behind  the  communion- 
table before  the  pulpit.  The  youthful  pair  stood  op- 
posite, and  the  friends  of  each  were  ranged  on  either 
side.  Aimata  was  dressed  in  an  English  white  gown, 
with  a  pink  scarf,  and  a  bonnet  made  of  white  bark, 
trimmed  with  white  ribands.  The  ladies  also  who 
attended  her  were  dressed  in  the  English  manner ; 
but  the  chiefs  wore  their  native  clothing.  A  tear 
was  observed  in  Aimata's  eye  during  the  service,  and 
this  tear  was  a  sign  of  feeling  which,  had  she  been  a 


PLEASING    REFLECTIONS.  211 

heathen,  she  would  hardly  have  possessed.  But 
Aimata  had  often  heen  instructed  in  the  schools,  and 
was  aware  of  the  holy  nature  of  a  promise.  After 
the  vows  were  made  and  the  blessings  pronounced, 
the  marriage  was  recorded  in  a  book.  Guns  were 
then  fired  by  the  guards  of  Hautia,  who  were  now 
drawn  up  outside  the  chapel.  The  day  was  con- 
cluded by  a  feast,  in  which  God's  name  was  not  for- 
gotten, and  in  which  no  rioting  and  excess  were  per- 
mitted. 

How  different  was  this  Christian  marriage  from 
those  of  the  natives  in  former  times.  It  is  true,  the 
heathen  used  to  pronounce  vows  of  fidelity  in  their 
temples,  but  they  never  kept  them  ;  although  the 
skulls  of  their  forefathers  were  often  brought  out  and 
ranged  before  the  young  couple,  and  though  their 
mothers  wounded  themselves  with  sharks'  teeth,  and 
stained  a  cloth  with  their  blood  mingled  together. 

The  religion  of  Jesus  had  banished  these  horrible 
ceremonies  from  these  lovely  isles,  and  had  brought 
down  upon  them  unnumbered  blessings,  both  in  time 
and  in  eternity. 


,£12  THE   NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

CHAPTER  XXIV, 

l-HE    CORONATION    OF   THE   LITTLE    ZING. 

THE  little  king  Pomare  was  not  brought  up  in  all 
respects  as  the  missionaries  desired,  for  though  his 
aunt  had  the  charge  of  him,  his  mother  sometimes 
gave  directions  concerning  him.  Before  the  child 
was  three  years  old,  he  was  carried  on  the  shoulders 
of  a  stout  man  round  part  of  the  island,  accompanied 
by  his  mother,  and  was  instructed  by  her  to  beg  of 
his  subjects,  according  to  the  ancient  custom  of  the 
Tahitiaii  kings.  As  he  passed  by  the  houses  of  the 
natives,  he  was  shown  to  the  people,  who  came  out 
to  see  him.  The  mother  took  this  opportunity  of 
looking  into  their  dwelling,  and  whatever  she  saw 
that  she  fancied,  she  desired  her  child  to  ask  for. 
Pomare  needed  only  to  say,  "  Hog,  plantain,  mat, 
dish,"  and  the  thing  wanted  was  joyfully  given  to 
him  by  his  dutiful  subjects. 

The  missionaries  feared  lest  the  child  should  ac- 
quire covetous  habits,  like  those  which  had  disgraced 
his  father  and  grandfather. 

Sometimes  the  young  monarch  was  engaged  in  a 
manner  that  delighted  the  servants  of  God.  You 
have  lately  heard  how  he  sat  in  the  chair  of  the 
missionary  meeting.  On  another  occasion  he  was 
present  at  a  scene  of  a  like  religious  nature. 


LAYING  THE    FIRST   STONE.  213 

A  new  chapel  was  wanted  in  Papeete,  where  Mr. 
Crook  resided,  and  which  was  only  four  miles  from 
the  residence  of  the  royal  family.  It  was  agreed  that 
little  Pomare  should  lay  the  first  stone  in  a  public 
assembly.  Mr.  Tyerman  and  Mr.  Bennet  were  pres- 
ent at  this  ceremony,  which  was  performed  in  the 
month  of  June,  1823. 

A  service  was  held  under  the  shade  of  the  trees 
that  grew  by  the  sea-shore.  Hymns  were  sung,  a 
prayer  was  offered,  and  a  sermon  was  preached  by 
Mr.  Crook  from  the  words,  "  Other  foundation  can  no 
man  lay  than  that  which  is  laid,  even  Christ  Jesus." 

During  the  service,  the  congregation,  which  con- 
sisted of  a  thousand  persons,  sat  upon  the  green  grass. 
A  great  many  arbors  had  been  constructed  of  palm- 
branches,  and  provisions  had  been  prepared.  After 
the  service  the  people  took  refreshment  in  these  leafy 
tents.  The  royal  family,  Mr.  Crook  and  his  family, 
and  the  travellers,  dined  in  a  large  arbor,  from  which 
they  had  a  view  of  the  happy  company.  The  scene 
must  have  reminded  them  of  Israel  of  old,  when  they 
kept  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  sitting  in  tents  made  of 
boughs  of  goodly  trees,  branches  of  palm-trees,  and 
boughs  of  thick  trees,  rejoicing  before  the  Lord. 

Many  of  the  chiefs  made  speeches  that  day  upon 
the  goodness  of  God  to  their  nation.  They  could 
remember  the  dreadful  deeds  that  used  to  be  com- 
mitted at  the  laying  the  first  stone  of  a  marae ;  how 


214  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

the  king  fixed  upon  one  of  the  multitude,  as  a  sacri- 
fice, and  made  a  secret  sign  to  his  servants  to  destroy 
him ;  and  how  in  a  moment  the  poor  creature  was 
knocked  on  the  head,  and  hurried  into  a  hole,  when 
a  post,  or  block  of  coral,  was  planted  upon  his  warm 
and  bleeding  breast,  and  the  earth  around  was  trod- 
den down  by  the  feet  of  the  spectators.  Each  post, 
or  block  of  a  marae  was  usually  thus  founded  in 
blood.  "Who  could  remember  those  days  without 
blessing  God  for  Christian  ministers,  and  exclaiming, 
"  How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of 
him  that  bringeth  good  tidings,  that  publisheth 
peace  !" 

It  was  now  desired  publicly  to  anoint  Pomare  king ; 
but  it  was  thought  well  to  improve  the  laws  and  the 
government  before  the  coronation  took  place. 

Formerly  the  kings  of  Tahiti  had  done  whatever 
they  pleased ;  but  Pomare  the  Second  had  made  laws, 
and  promised  to  govern  according  to  them.  The 
chiefs  now  resolved  to  improve  the  government  still 
farther  by  forming  a  parliament,  in  some  degree  sim- 
ilar to  that  of  England.  It  was  to  consist  of  all  the 
chiefs  of  Tahiti  and  Eimeo,  and  of  two  persons  of  a 
lower  rank  from  each  division  of  those  islands.  These 
two  persons  were  to  be  chosen  every  three  years  by 
the  people  in  each  division. 

The  chiefs,  and  the  persons  chosen  by  the  people, 
were  to  meet  together  in  one  house  every  year,  and 


THE  NEW    PARLIAMENT.  215 

to  make  laws,  and  to  determine  on  all  that  was  right 
to  be  done  ;  but  they  were  to  do  nothing  without  the 
consent  of  the  king,  or  of  the  regent,  while  the  king 
was  a  child. 

The  missionaries  did  not  wish  to  interfere  with 
this  parliament ;  for  their  business  was  not  with  the 
affairs  of  the  world,  but  only  with  the  word  of  God, 
and  the  souls  of  men  :  still,  they  were  willing  to  give 
their  counsel  when  it  was  desired. 

This  parliament  first  met  in  February,  1824.  Mr, 
Nott  was  particularly  requested  to  preside.  He  con- 
sented to  sit  in  the  chair,  and  to  give  advice  when 
consulted,  but  he  refused  to  do  more.  Some  other 
missionaries  were  present,  as  well  as  Mr.  Tyerman 
and  Mr.  Bennet. 

One  of  the  chief  faults  in  the  old  laws  was  the 
power  left  with  the  judge  to  punish  many  offences  in 
the  manner  he  thought  best.  This  defect  was  cor- 
rected in  the  new  laws,  and  a  particular  punishment 
was  assigned  to  each  different  kind  of  offence. 

Some  chiefs  were  desirous  to  alter  the  punishment 
for  murder  and  rebellion.  They  did  not  like  that 
death  should  be  inflicted  upon  men,  because  it  took 
away  the  opportunity  for  repentance  ;  therefore  they 
proposed  that  murderers  and  rebels  should  be  ban- 
ished to  a  desert  island,  called  Palmerston's  Isle,  or 
to  some  other  similar  place. 

There  were  many  islands  that  lay  far  apart  by 


216  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

themselves  in  the  wide  ocean,  and  from  which  no 
criminal  could  escape  in  any  boat  that  he  would  be 
able  to  build.  In  these  he  might  live  upon  cocoa- 
nuts  and  water,  and  have  opportunity  in  his  solitude 
to  think  of  his  sins,  and  to  ask  for  a  new  heart.  The 
chiefs  thought  that  bad  men  would  be  more  alarmed 
at  this  punishment  than  at  death  itself,  while  in 
reality  it  would  be  more  merciful. 

Still,  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  many  persons 
had  been  hitherto  executed.  Since  the  laws  had  first 
been  made,  nearly  five  years  ago,  only  four  men  had 
been  put  to  death.  They  had  all  been  guilty  of 
rebellion  against  Pomare,  but  not  of  murder.  Two 
had  been  hanged  oh  one  occasion,  and  two  on  an- 
other. At  the  last  execution,  Mr.  Crook  had  attend 
ed,  and  had  spoken  to  the  multitude  while  the  bodies 
were  hanging  on  the  pole,  between  two  trees.  Yet 
these  executions  had  not  had  a  good  effect  upon  the 
natives,  but  had  appeared  to  harden  them. 

After  a  long  argument  between  the  chiefs  on  the 
subject  of  the  punishment  of  death,  it  was  decided 
that  it  should  be  abolished. 

The  parliament  spent  eight  days  in  consulting 
together.  Each  day's  business  was  begun  and  con- 
cluded with  prayer,  and  the  behavior  of  all  present 
was  excellent.  No  one  interrupted  or  contradicted 
another,  nor  uttered  an  angry  word,  or  by  his  manner 
appeared  to  think  that  he  knew  more  than  the  rest ; 


THE    CORONATION.  217 

but  each  behaved  courteously,  and  spoke  modestly 
and  sensibly. 

Soon  after  the  meeting  of  parliament,  the  corona- 
tion of  the  little  king  took  place.  He  was  now  nearly 
four  years  old.  The  day  appointed  was  April  21st, 
1824.  The  place  of  coronation  was  a  field,  where  a 
platform  of  stones  was  erected  under  a  high  tree, 
with  a  lower  platform  by  the  side  of  the  first. 

On  the  day  of  the  coronation  the  people  met  early 
at  the  queen's  house,  which  was  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  coronation  field.  The  little  king  was 
dressed  in  his  coronation  robes  in  Mr.  Nott's  house, 
the  robes  having  been  made  by  Mrs.  JSTott.  He  was 
then  conveyed  to  the  queen's  house,  where  many 
were  waiting  to  receive  him,  and  was  placed  upon  a 
chair,  under  a  canopy  of  native  cloth. 

The  procession  was  then  arranged.  This  was  tha 
order  of  it. 

A  woman  and  two  girls  scattering  flowers. 

Wives  and  children  of  missionaries. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Mahine,  a  chief  judge,  Mr.  Nott. 

Mr.  Henry.  carrying  a  Bible.  Mr.  Tyerman. 

Seven  missionaries,  and  son  and  nephew,  in  two  rows. 
A  chief  judge.  Utami,  a  chief  judge,  A  chief  judge. 

with  copy  of  the  laws. 

A  chief  judge.  Tati,  with  crown.  A  chief  judge. 

King's  mother  KING,  King's  aunts, 

and  sister.          carried  in  a  chair  by  four  chiefs  ; 
canopy  supported  by  four  youths. 

Pomare,  chief  of  Tahaa. 

Relations  of  the  royal  family,  carrying  three  tables,  and  phial  of  oil. 
Governors,  four  in  a  row. 

Judges,  four  in  a  row. 
Magistrates,  four  in  a  row. 


218  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

A  multitude,  consisting  of  eight  thousand  persona 
viewed  this  procession  walk  to  the  appointed  field. 
Among  the  spectators  were  the  kings  and  chiefs  of 
Raiatea  and  Huahine,  and  the  neighboring  islands. 
This  was  the  first  Christian  coronation  that  had  ever 
taken  place  hi  the  South  Seas,  and  it  was  observed 
as  a  pattern  for  others. 

When  the  procession  reached  the  platforms,  the 
king  was  placed  in  his  chair  on  the  highest  platform, 
just  beneath  the  tall  tree  that  shaded  it,  as  well  as 
beneath  his  own  little  canopy.  The  three  little 
tables  were  placed  before  him.  The  crown  was  laid 
on  the  middle  table,  and  the  Bible  and  the  laws  and 
phial  of  oil  on  the  tables  on  each  side.  Mr.  Davies 
sat  close  by  the  little  monarch,  to  answer  for  him 
when  addressed. 

The  royal  family  surrounded  him,  and  the  mission- 
aries, their  wives  and  children,  and  the  chief  judges, 
sat  at  a  little  distance  from  them. 

On  the  lower  platform,  the  governors  and  lesser 
judges  were  stationed,  and  around  it  their  wives  and 
children  and  the  magistrates  were  arranged. 

When  all  was  in  readiness,  the  coronation  service 
was  begun  by  Mr.  Darling  giving  out  a  hymn  suita- 
ble for  the  occasion.  After  the  singing,  Mr.  Crook 
offered  up  a  prayer,  and  Mr.  Nott  gave  an  address  to 
the  people.  In  the  address,  Mr.  Nott  pointed  out  to 
the  people  the  duty  of  obedience  to  the  king  they 


CORONATION    CEREMONIES.    '  219 

now  publicly  acknowledged,  and  lie  read  over  the 
laws  to  them,  asking  them  to  hold  up  their  hands  to 
show  their  approbation  of  them. 

When  Mr.  Nott  had  concluded  his  discourse,  and 
had  placed  the  laws  again  upon  the  table,  Mr.  Ben- 
net  presented  them  to  the  king,  while  Mr.  "Wilson 
addressed  the  following  words  to  him  :  "Do  you 
promise  to  govern  your  people  in  justice  and  mercy, 
in  obedience  to  the  word  of  God,  and  these  laws,  and 
any  other  laws  that  the  parliament  may  agree  upon, 
with  your  consent  ?" 

Mr.  Davies  then  directed  Pomare  to  reply,  "I  do, 
God  being  my  helper." 

Mr.  Henry  then  took  the  oil  from  the  table,  and 
poured  some  upon  the  head  of  the  king,  at  the  same 
time  observing  that  the  oil  represented  the  Holy 
Spirit's  power,  which  only  could  enable  him  to  act 
like  a  Christian  prince.  Mr.  Davies  then  prayed 
that  God's  Spirit  might  rest  upon  the  king,  and  pro- 
nounced a  blessing  upon  him. 

Mr.  Nott  then  took  the  crown  from  the  table,  and 
put  it  on  the  king's  head,  saying,  "  May  God  grant 
you  prosperity,  health,  length  of  days,  and  grace  to 
rule  in  righteousness,  and  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord!" 

The  people  then  gave  three  shouts,  saying,  "Long 
live  the  king  !  May  the  king  be  saved!" 

Mr.  Tyerman  next  presented  the  Bible  to  the  king, 
while  Mr  Darling  addressed  him  in  these  words : 


220  •  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

"King  Pomare,  we  present  to  you  this  book,  the 
most  valuable  thing  in  the  world.  Here  is  wisdom  ; 
this  is  the  royal  law ;  these  are  the  lively  oracles  of 
God.  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear 
the  words  of  this  book,  and  keejJ  and  do  the  things 
contained  in  it ;  for  these  are  the  words  of  eternal 
life,  able  to  make  you  wise  and  happy  in  this  world, 
nay,  wise  unto  salvation,  and  so  happy  for  evermore, 
through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  to  whom  be  glory  for 
ever  and  ever.  Amen." 

Mr.  Jones  now  gave  out  another  hymn,  and  Mi 
"Wilson  concluded  with  prayer  for  the  king,  the  na 
tion,  and  the  church  of  God. 

A  man  now  proclaimed  pardon  to  all  who  were 
under  punishment  from  the  law,  permitting  the  ban- 
ished to  return,  and  the  prisoners  to  be  set  free. 

The  coronation  being  now  ended,  the  procession 
descended  from  the  platforms,  and  walking  in  the 
same  order  as  before,  proceeded  to  the  Hoyal  Mission 
Chapel.  The  little  king  sat  in  the  chair  of  state  in 
his  pew,  but  the  crown  was  taken  from  his  head  and 
placed  on  the  little  table  before  him.  The  other 
tables,  with  the  laws  and  Bible,  were  also  placed  in 
the  king's  pew.  The  royal  family  sat  with  the  king 
in  his  pew. 

"When  public  worship  was  over,  the  procession 
went  to  the  coronation  dinner,  which  was  plentiful, 
but  where  no  excess  was  permitted. 


DELIGHTFUL   CONTRAST.  221 

Those  who  had  been  present  at  the  heathen  festi- 
vals in  honor  of  kings,  could  alone  tell  how  differently 
this  coronation  was  conducted.  When  the  late  Po- 
mare  had  become  a  man,  he  had  been  declared  king 
according  to  the  heathen  fashion ;  not  by  being 
crowned,  but  by  being  wrapped  in  a  girdle  covered 
with  red  feathers ;  and  this  ceremony  had  been  at- 
tended by  the  slaughter  of  men,  and  had  been  fol- 
lowed by  the  worshipping  of  the  king  as  a  god,  as 
he  sat  in  the  marae  in  Oro's  wooden  bed,  between 
Oro  himself  and  Hiro  the  son  of  Oro,  and  god  of 
thieves. 

How  happy  was  this  little  prince,  whose  corona- 
tion, instead  of  being  stained  with  blood,  was  attend- 
ed by  the  opening  of  prison  doors,  and  the  sacrifice 
of  the  sweet  incense  of  prayer  and  praise  to  the  liv- 
ing God ! 


222  THE   NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


BEFELL  TAHITI   IN   THE   LATTER  DAYS  OF  THE  FIRST   MIS- 
SIONARIES. 

WE  have  observed  God's  wonderful  dealings  with 
the  land  of  Tahiti  for  nearly  thirty  years.  But  the 
time  is  come  when  we  must  break  off  the  history. 
Yet  we  will  not  do  so  without  giving  a  short  account 
of  some  of  the  principal  events  that  happened  after 
the  coronation  of  young  Pomare. 

The  little  king  made  great  progress  in  his  learning, 
and  showed  such  good  dispositions,  that  the  mission- 
aries fondly  hoped  that  he  would  become  a  blessing 
to  his  kingdom  ;  but  God  thought  fit  to  disappoint 
their  expectations.  When  six  years  and  a  half  old, 
he  was  attacked  by  a  complaint  that  prevailed  in 
the  islands  at  that  time,  and  became  dangerously  ill  : 
he  was  immediately  conveyed  to  Papao  in  Tahiti, 
where  his  mother  and  aunt  resided,  and  where  he 
lingered  for  three  weeks.  His  dying  struggles  were 
so  painful  to  behold,  that  his  relations  threw  a  cloth 
over  him  as  he  lay  in  the  arms  of  Mr.  Orsmorid,  his 
affectionate  teacher.  In  a  few  minutes  they  removed 
the  cloth,  and  found  that  the  spirit  of  the  child  had 
fled. 

Thus  God  cut  off  with  a  stroke  the  deaire  of  many 
hearts,  and  the  hope  of  the  nation.  All  eyes  were 


A1MATA    GIUEEN.  223 

now  directed  towards  Aimata,  his  elder  sister,  who 
became  queen  of  Tahiti  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  She 
soon  assumed  the  name  of  Pomare  Vahine,  or  the 
female  Pomare  ;  and  her  aunt,  who  once  had  borne 
that  name,  was  called  by  another  name.  The  young 
queen  continued  to  live  at  Papao,  near  her  father's 
tomb.  Her  palace  was  a  neat  plastered  house,  situ- 
ated beneath  the  shade  of  a  lovely  grove,  and  con- 
sisting of  a  hall,  four  rooms  on  the  ground  floor,  and 
some  above.  Mr.  Nott  continued  also  to  be  the 
preacher  at  court,  but  he  no  longer  could  preach  in 
the  Royal  Mission  Chapel,  as  it  fell  into  decay.  The 
part  that  remained  was  made  into  a  school,  and  a 
very  neat  oval  chapel  was  built  near  it. 

The  queen,  however,  did  not  always  reside  at 
home ;  but  was  fond,  as  her  father  also  had  been,  of 
making  voyages  from  island  to  island,  and,  like  her 
father,  was  accompanied  by  a  train  of  the  most  dis- 
orderly persons  that  could  be  found  in  the  country. 
She  could  read  and  write  well,  and  was  a  very  bright 
girl ;  but  in  her  youth  she  was  not  so  serious,  nor 
even  steady,  as  to  benefit  her  subjects  by  her  ex- 
ample. 

In  outward  things  the  people  of  Tahiti  made  great 
improvement.  The  road  that  has  been  already  men- 
tioned, was  finished  in  a  few  years,  chiefly  by  the 
labor  of  persons  who  were  sentenced  to  do  hard  work 
by  the  judges. 


224  THE    NIGHT    OF   TOIL. 

Once  it  was  almost  impossible  to  travel  round  Ta- 
hiti on  foot ;  sometimes  the  traveller  was  obliged  to 
creep  by  the  brink  of  frightful  precipices,  along  nar- 
row ledges  of  the  rocks  that  overhung  the  sea  ;  some- 
times he  found  his  way  blocked  up  by  shrubs  that 
grew  close  to  the  sea-shore,  or  interrupted  by  streams 
flowing  from  the  mountains,  while  at  every  step  his 
feet  were  wounded  by  stones,  or  entangled  in  the 
long  grass.  But  the  new  gravel  road,  and  the  nar- 
row bridges  made  of  planks,  placed  across  every 
stream,  enabled  a  person  to  go  round  the  island  with 
pleasure,  and  to  view  at  ease  the  lovely  ocean  on  one 
side,  and  the  richly  clothed  mountains  on  the  other. 
So  beautiful,  indeed,  were  the  prospects  on  each  side, 
especially  the  glimpses  of  the  fertile  valleys,  that  a 
traveller  might  fancy  himself  passing  through  a  park, 
rather  than  along  a  common  road. 

Neither  were  persons  now  obliged  always  to  go  on 

foot,  for  most  of  the  chiefs  had  horses  to  ride,  and 

even  the  poorer  people  were  often  able  to  buy  one 

horse.     Cows,  as  well  as  horses,  became  common  in 

i  the  islands.     Sheep  did  not  prosper,  for  they  were 

'  both  worried  by  the  dogs  and  injured  by  the  heat. 

The  land  was  much  more  cultivated  than  it  was 
formerly.  An  attempt  was  made  to  grow  corn,  but 
it  did  not  succeed,  for  though  the  ears  sprung  up, 
they  were  found  empty  at  harvest-time,  owing  to 
die  heat  of  the  climate.  The  coffee-plant,  however, 


AGRICULTURE    AND  THE   ARTS.  225 

flourished,  and  coffee  became  a  favorite  drink  of  the 
chiefs. 

Sugar-canes  always  grew  in  the  islands,  but  once 
the  natives  did  not  know  how  to  extract  sugar  from 
them.  Now  that  they  had  learned  this  art,  they 
made  large  plantations  of  them.  The  chief,  Tati,  as 
well  as  some  persons  from  Europe,  made  a  quantity 
of  sugar,  and  sold  it  to  the  ships. 

The  cotton-plant  was  also  a  native  of  the  island, 
but  of  no  use  till  the  people  had  learned  how  to  spin 
and  weave.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Armitage  had  come  from 
England  on  purpose  to  instruct  them  in  these  arts. 
They  found  them  very  idle  at  first,  and  were  obliged 
to  coax  them  by  rewards  to  learn.  After  much 
trouble,  they  succeeded  in  teaching  the  people  to 
weave  a  coarse  kind  of  calico,  which  is  much 
stronger  than  can  be  purchased  from  the  ships.  The 
natives  dye  it  blue,  and  are  fond  of  wearing  it.  A 
spinning-wheel  is  also  now  to  be  seen  in  many  a  Ta- 
hitian  cottage.  Mr.  Armitage  returned  to  England, 
after  having  spent  a  few  years  in  various  islands  of 
the  South  Seas. 

The  natives  were  also  taught  by  the  missionaries 
to  make  ropes  to  sell  to  the  ships,  and  to  prepare 
arrowroot,  quantities  of  which  are  now  to  be  pur- 
chased in  England  at  a  very  low  price. 

It  is  evident  that  the  people  became  much  more 
industrious  than  before  ;  but  though  industry  is  good, 

Night  of  Toil.  -t  K 


226  THE    NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

it  is  often  accompanied  and  disgraced  by  the  great 
evil  of  covetousness.  ,  This  sin  led  many  of  the  na- 
tives to  neglect  school  and  chapel.  Those  who  lived 
at  a  distance  from  the  missionaries,  did  not  like  to 
leave  their  lands  on,  Saturday,  to  he  present  at  the 
Sabbath  services.  Such  persons  seldom  came  more 
than  -  nee  a  month,  and  even  those  who  attended 
oftenei  appeared  less  attentive  than  formerly,  for 
they  were  inclined  to  think  of  their  property  during 
the  service,  instead  of  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
heaven. 

There  was  another  sin  which  ruined  many,  souls 
in  Tahiti :  it  was  drunkenness.  Though  the  native 
stills  had  been  long  ago  destroyed,  yet  the  ships 
brought  spirits  in  abundance  to  the  shores.  As  the 
natives  had  now  much  property,  the  wicked  sailors 
took  every  means  to  induce  them  to  exchange  it  for 
spirits.  They  took  spirits  about  the  island  to  sell, 
and  set  up  shops  along  the  shore. 

The  missionaries  now  determined  to  try  to  estab- 
lish Temperance  societies  in  the  island,  and  to  en- 
gage the  people  to  promise  to  leave  off  the  use  of 
spirits. 

The  missionaries  were  accustomed  to  meet  together 
every  three  months  to  consult  about  plans  for  the 
good  of  the  people.  At  one  of  these  quarterly  meet- 
ings, in  August,  1833,  it  was  resolved  that  each  mis 
gionary,  at  his  own  station,  would  endeavor  to  per 


TEMPERANCE   SOCIETIES.  227 

euade  the  people  to  promise  to  abstain  from  drinking 
spirits.  Mr.  Nott  took  a  sheet  of  paper,  and  wrote 
down  his  own  name,  and  soon  obtained  a  hundred 
others  in  his  district. 

The  queen,  with  her  principal  chiefs,  was  at  this 
time  in  Eimea  Mr.  Nott  se*  't  a  messenger  with  a 
letter,  entreating  her  to  set  ai*  example  of  temper- 
ance to  her  subjects,  and  to  permit  her  name  to  be 
written  down  on  the  paper  that  he  had  prepared. 
She  sent  a  message  in  reply,  desiring  Mr.  Nott  not 
to  be  in  too  much  haste,  and  saying  she  would  con- 
sider the  subject ;  but  that  she  thought  her  aunt, 
and  other  chiefs,  who  took  the  Lord's  supper,  ought 
to  write  down  their  names  before  she  wrote  down 
hers. 

Very  soon  both  the  queen's  mother  and  aunt,  and 
many  of  the  chiefs,  permitted  their  names  to  be 
written  down,  but  the  queen  still  delayed  to  add  her 
own 

There  was  already  a  great  change  in  the  appear- 
ance of  the  people,  for  drunkards  were  no  longer  fre- 
quently to  be  seen  staggering  along  the  road.  The 
missionaries  felt  that  the  queen's  example  would  in- 
duce many  more  persons  to  leave  off  drinking  spirits. 
Their  desire  to  obtain  her  name  was  soon  gratified. 
One  evening,  when  Mr.  JNTott  and  some  of  his  people 
were  assembled  for  worship,  a  messenger  entered  the 
chapel — his  countenance  beamed  with  joy.  He  sur- 


228  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

prised  the  people  present  by  exclaiming,  "  Brethren 
and  sisters,  rejoice  with  me."  All  eyes  were  fixed 
upon  him.  He  then  added,  "  I  say,  rejoice  with  me, 
because  the  queen  has  given  me  orders  to  tell  Notty 
to  add  her  name  to  those  who  belong  to  the  Temper- 
ance society."  This  news  was  received  with  delight 
by  all.  They  now  thought  that  no  drunkard  would 
dare  to  show  his  face  in  the  islands. 

Their  expectations  were  not  disappointed.  A  short 
time  afterwards  the  parliament  assembled,  and  it 
was  then  proposed  that  a  law  against  drunkenness 
should  be  made.  At  last  all  agreed  to  the  following 
law: 

"  If  any  person  in  Tahiti  is  found  with  even  one 
glass  of  spirits  in  his  possession,  he  shall  be  obliged^ 
if  a  native,  to  pay  ten  hogs  ;  and  if  a  foreigner,  ten 
dollars,  and  be  banished  from  the  islands." 

Some  members  of  the  parliament  proposed,  that 
people  should  be  allowed  to  keep  a  small  quantity  ol 
spirits  by  them  in  case  of  sickness  ;  but  the  greater 
part  objected  to  this  permission,  because  they  knew 
it  would  be  made  use  of  as  an  excuse  for  disobeying 
the  law. 

The  judges  immediately  began  to  make  people  ob- 
serve the  law.  Tati  the  chief  willingly  spilt  upon 
tht  ground  a  quantity  of  spirits  that  he  possessed. 
The  spirits  in  the  shops  at  Papeete,  and  other  places, 
were  seized ;  casks  and  calabashes  were  dashed  to 


EFFECTS    OF   TEMPERANCE.  229 

pieces,  and  the  spirits  within  poured  out.  Notwith- 
standing this  law,  sailors  would  sometimes  run  away 
from  their  ships  and  sell  spirits ;  but  when  they  were 
discovered,  they  were  punished. 

Now  that  spirits  were  forbidden,  people  began 
again  to  flock  to  school  and  chapef  in  every  place. 
The  queen  also  expressed  her  desire  that  all  persons 
should  attend  chapel,  and  that  all  children  should 
go  to  school.  Most  of  the  people  were  glad  to  do 
what  their  sovereign  wished. 

The  missionaries  were  rejoiced  to  see  so  many 
people  listening  to  their  instructions,  and  they  offered 
up  earnest  prayers  to  God  to  send  his  Spirit  from  on 
high  to  convert  those  who  were  unconverted. 

Many  of  the  missionaries  now  felt  a  burning  desire 
for  the  salvation  of  souls.  They  never  entered  their 
pulpits  without  using  all  their  efforts  to  persuade  the 
people  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  Their  labor 
was  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 

In  the  end  of  the  summer  of  1835,  many  people 
in  various  parts  of  the  island  were  converted,  espe- 
cially by  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Nott  at  Papao.  Some 
even  of  the  wild  men  and  women  of  the  mountains, 
who  had  hitherto  been  disorderly  in  their  conduct, 
now  began  to  show  a  concern  for  their  souls ;  and 
many  who  had  once  known  God,  and  who  had  wan 
dered  from  him,  seemed  anxious  to  return  to  him 
At  first  these  people  came  to  Mr.  Nott  in  small  par 


230  THE  NIGHT    OF   TOIL 

ties  of  three  or  four  together  ;  but  soon  the  number 
increased,  and  sometimes  even  thirty  came  at  once 
to  ask  the  way  to  the  heavenly  Zion.  They  came 
at  all  times  of  the  day,  and  even  at  night.  They 
assembled  in  the  chapel,  at  any  hour  Mr.  Nott  ap- 
pointed, to  listen  to  his  instructions. 

The  heart  of  this  faithful  minister  was  filled  with 
unspeakable  joy,  and  many  on  earth,  as  well  as  in 
heaven,  partook  of  it ;  especially  the  pious  old  peo- 
ple in  his  congregation,  who  had  often  wept  and 
prayed  for  the  ungodly  natives.  They  came  with 
tottering  steps  along  the  beach,  each  leaning  upon  a 
staff,  that  they  might  be  present  while  Mr.  Nott  in 
structed  the  newly  converted  in  the  chapel.  Mr 
Nott  inquired  why  they  wished  to  hear  things  re 
peated  that  they  had  heard  so  often :  they  replied. 
"  God  has  answered  our  prayers  for  these  people. 
We  remember  your  sermon  on  the  text,  '  Compel 
them  to  come  in,  that  my  house  may  be  filled.'  "We 
prayed  that  he  would  compel  them  to  come  in,  and 
we  like  to  see  them  coming  in.  0  tell  them  to  give 
their  chief  attention  to  eternal  things,  and  to  stand 
upon  the  Lord's  side.  They  will  understand  more 
quickly  than  we  did,  for  they  learned  to  read  and 
write,  and  to  understand  catechisms  long  ago,  though 
they  have  been  deceived  by  the  devil,  and  have  neg- 
lected their  books ;  yet  they  will  now  learn  very 
quickly."  Thus  these  compassionate  Christians  re- 


THE    BIBLE    TRANSLATED.  231 

joiced  over  the  poor  weeping  prodigals,  who  were 
lost,  and  now  were  found. 

Among  those  who  were  now  awakened  were  some 
of  the  noble  of  the  earth,  even  the  queen,  her  hus- 
band, and  her  mother.  They  all  desired  to  he  admit- 
ted to  the  Lord's  supper.  The  queen  and  her  hus- 
band were  desired  to  write  to  Mr  Nott  an  account 
of  the  reasons  which  made  them  wish  to  become 
communicants.  The  queen's  mother  was  not  desired 
to  write,  but  to  come  with  other  inquirers  to  the 
chapel.  They  were  all  three  soon  afterwards  per- 
mitted to  assemble  round  the  table  of  the  Lord. 

The  queen  now  showed  a  great  desire  that  her 
people  should  be  instructed  and  converted.  She 
herself  condescended  to  teach  poor  little  girls  to 
read,  and  thus  set  an  example  of  humility  to  all  her 
subjects,  and  to  the  queens  of  every  land. 

In  July,  1836,  the  queen  rejoiced  to  find  that  there 
were  only  two  openly  ungodly  persons  in  the  whole 
district  of  Pare,  where  she  resided. 

Mr.  Davies  was  almost  as  much  blessed  in  his 
ministry  at  Papara,  as  Mr.  JSTott  was  at  Papao  ;  and 
many  other  missionaries,  in  all  the  islands,  met  with 
great  success 

Another  event  caused  much  joy  to  the  natives 
The  translation  of  the  whole  Bible  into  Tahitian  was 
now  completed.  The  greatest  part  of  the  work  had 
bren  done  by  Mr.  Nott.  It  was  now  his  anxious 


232  THE   NIGHT   OF   TOIL. 

desire  to  place  the  whole  Bible  in  the  hands  of  the 
natives.  He  thought  it  would  be  best  for  him  to  go 
to  England,  where  learned  persons  would  assist  him 
to  correct  the  translation  before  it  was  printed,  and 
where  skilful  men  would  print  it  well  and  quickly. 
His  affectionate  people  were  unwilling  to  part  with 
him,  but  he  asked  them  how  he  could  better  spend 
his  few  remaining  years,  and  his  failing  strength, 
than  in  helping  to  give  them  the  word  of  life. 

In  February,  1836,  Mr.  Nott,  accompanied  by  his 
wife,  set  sail  for  England.  He  had,  a  few  years  be- 
fore, visited  his  native  country  with  the  translation 
of  the  New  Testament,  but  now  he  felt  that  he  was 
visiting  it  for  the  last  time. 

He  was  the  only  one  of  the  missionaries  who  first 
sailed  in  the  Duff,  that  was  still  living  and  laboring 
in  the  South  Seas,  except  Mr.  Henry.  How  delight- 
ful he  now  found  it  to  behold  the  fruits  of  his  life  of 
"toil.  How  different  were  those  people,  with  whom 
he  was  now  parting  for  a  time,  from  those  ignorant 
and  miserable  savages,  among  whom  he  had  come 
to  dwell  forty  years  before  ! 

When  he  arrived  in  England  he  presented  his 
translation  to  the  directors  of  the  London  Mission- 
ary Society,  who  caused  three  thousand  copies  to  be 
printed  immediately  and  sent  to  Tahiti.  Mr.  Nott 
remained  in  England  about  two  years.  He  appeared 
in  Exeter  Hall  at  the  great  meeting  of  the  London 


JOYFUL   OLD    AGE.  233 

Missionary  Society  in  1838,  and  was  received  with 
the  affection  and  veneration  due  to  a  man  who  had 
hazarded  his  life  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Acts  15  :  26.  He  showed  to  the  assembly 
a  copy  of  the  Tahitian  Bible,  and  told  them  that  he 
bade  them  a  last,  though  not  an  everlasting  fare- 
well, before  his  return  to  Tahiti. 

Mr.  Henry,  though  suffering  much  from  the  effects 
of  old  age  and  toil,  and  the  sultry  air  of  the  South 
Seas,  cannot  be  persuaded  to  forsake  his  beloved 
flock  to  dwell  in  a  more  refreshing  climate.  He 
fears  lest  the  wolf  should  enter  in  and  destroy  them, 
and,  therefore,  with  his  wife  and  children,  spends  his 
latter  years  in  watching  for  their  souls. 

Having  now  followed  the  faithful  missionaries 
through  a  long  life  of  labor,  let  us  stop  an  instant 
and  contemplate  the  happiness  they  enjoy  in  the 
evening  of  their  days.  They  look  around,  and  be- 
hold the  children  of  Satan  become  the  children  oi 
God,  through  their  preaching.  They  share  the  joy 
of  Christ,  who  in  heaven  rejoices  over  the  souls  he 
purchased  with  his  blood.  These  missionaries  have 
not  indeed  suffered  the  wrath  and  curse  of  God,  as 
Christ  did,  from  love  to  sinners ;  but  they  have  for- 
eaken  all,  and  borne  shame,  and  endured  toil,  and 
exposed  their  lives,  and  they  have  not  lost  their  re- 
ward ;  neither  shall  they  lose  it. 

And  now  let  me  speak  a  word  to  those  young  per- 


234  THE  NIGHT  OF  TOIL. 

sons  who  have  had  the  patience  to  accompany  me 
through  the  tedious,  though  well-rewarded  labors  of 
the  missionaries.  Do  you  think  it  enough  to  admire 
their  perseverance,  or  even  to  rejoice  at  their  success? 
Is  there  no  other  effect  which  these  events  ought  to 
have  upon  our  minds  ?  There  are  still  numerous 
dark  corners  of  the  earth,  or  rather  I  should  say,  the 
earth  still  lies  in  darkness,  and  there  are  only  a  few 
bright  spots  to  be  seen  upon  it.  You  were  astomshed 
at  the  cruelty  of  the  Tahitians  in  murdering  their 
infants,  and  torturing  their  enemies ;  but  how  would 
your  ears  tingle  at  the  account  of  the  barbarous 
deeds  which  are  even  now  committed  in  heathen 
lands  ? 

I  know  that  many  a  youthful  and  compassionate 
heart  is  grieved  at  hearing  of  these  horrible  practices ; 
but  it  is  not  to  cause  pain  that  I  allude  to  them 
Could  nothing  be  done  to  stop  these  atrocious  cus* 
toms,  it  would  be  better  that  they  should  never  be 
mentioned.  But  something  may  be  done.  Where 
the  Gospel  is  preached  and  believed,  there  Satan,  the 
author  of  all  cruelty,  loses  his  power. 

But  perhaps  some  inquire,  "  Can  we,  who  are  so 
young  and  inexperienced — who  have  no  power,  and 
little  property — can  we  send  the  G-ospel  to  the  hea- 
then ?" 

Yes,  even  you  may  bear  a  part  in  the  blessed  work. 
There  are,  even  now,  such  men  in  the  world  as  those 


WHAT  YOUTH    CAN   DO.  235 

missionaries  of  whom  you  have  been  reading,  whose 
hearts  are  stirred  up  within  them  at  the  thought  of 
the  misery  of  the  poor  pagans,  and  who  are  willing 
to  cross  the  ocean  and  to  spend  their  days  among 
savages.  Your  slender  offerings  will  assist  to  supply 
them  with  food  and  raiment  in  those  barbarous 
lands. 

0  that  all  who  are  in  the  bloom  of  youth,  would 
begin  without  delay  to  be  the  servants  of  God.  It 
is  those  who  have  devoted  their  whole  lives  to  God, 
who  have  been  the  instruments  of  the  greatest  good 
in  the  world.  Martin  Oberlin,  through  whose  labors 
the  inhabitants  of  five  French  villages  were  made 
partakers  of  the  blessings  of  the  Gospel,  passed  sixty 
years  among  them.  It  was  in  the  morning  of  their 
days  that  Mr.  Nott  and  Mr.  Henry  devoted  them- 
selves to  that  service  which  has  filled  hundreds  of 
islands  with  peace  and  joy. 

But  though  ive  should  neglect  to  serve  God,  or  to 
honor  him,  or  to  pray  to  him,  yet  his  kingdom  must 
come  ;  for  he  has  said,  "  I  will  gather  all  nations  and 
tongues,  and  they  shall  come  and  see  my  glory." 
Isaiah  66  :  18. 

How  sad  it  is,  that  when  Christ  has  purchased 
with  his  blood  an  inheritance  for  the  heathen,  they 
should  live  and  die  in  ignorance  of  it. 

Now  hear  a  little  parable.  A  certain  man  lived 
all  his  days  in  pinching  poverty,  and  at  last  actually 


236  THE    NIGHT    OF    TOIL. 

perished  with  hunger.  After  he  was  dead,  it  wag 
discovered  that  a  great  sum  of  money  had  once  been 
left  him,  but  that  he  had  never  been  told  of  his  good 
fortune.  It  was  a  rich  man  who  had  left  him  this 
"money,  and  with  his  dying  breath  he  had  strictly 
charged  his  relations  who  surrounded  his  bed,  to  seek 
for  this  poor  man,  and  to  convey  to  him,  with  their 
own  hands,  the  valuable  gift.  He  had  said  to  hig 
relations,  "  I  have  not  forgotten  you  in  my  will :  I 
have  left  you  more  than  you  can  need — you  will 
never  miss  the  sum  I  have  bequeathed  to  our  poor 
neighbor."  But  though  it  was  true  that  every  one 
of  the  relations  was  amply  provided  for,  they  were 
too  much  engrossed  with  their  own  ease  and  pleasure 
to  take  the  trouble  to  visit  the  poor  man,  or  even  to 
send  a  messenger  to  inform  him  of  the  legacy.  If 
these  selfish  relations  should  ever  hear  of  the  sad  fate 
of  that  famished  man,  they  would  feel  many  a  pang 
of  conscience  at  the  recollection  of  their  own  con- 
'duct;  their  sleep  would  be  sometimes  troubled  by 
the  thought  of  his  expiring  agonies,  and  his  emaci- 
ated body,  and  they  would  fancy  they  saw  their  de- 
parted friend  frowning  upon  them,  and  reproaching 
them  with  their  neglect. 


PUBLICATIONS 

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AMERICAN  TRACT   SOCIETY. 


These  works  are  not  exceeded  in  high,  evangelical  charac- 
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family  or  to  others,  not  only  with  safety  to  their  best  and  eter- 
nal interests,  but  with  hope  of  the  richest  spiritual  blessings. 


D'Aubigne's History  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. A  new  translation,  revised 
by  the  author,  in  four  volumes 
]2mo,  with  portraits.  Price  $1  75, 
extra  cloth. 

Family  Testament  with  Notes. 

Baxter's  Saints'  Everlasting  Rest, 
12mo,  in  large  type  ;  also  i8mo. 

Banyan's  Pilgrim's  Progress,  12mo, 
in  large  type,  and  ]§mo.  Both 
editions  neatly  illustrated. 

Memoir  of  Jas.  Milnor,  D.  D. 

Mason's  Spiritual  Treasurv.  for  every 
day  in  the  year.  Terse,  pithy,  and 
evangelical. 

Havel's  Fountain  of  Life,  or  Re- 
demption Provided. 

Flavel's  Method  of  Grace,  or  Re- 
demption applied  to  the  Souls  of 
Men. 

Flavel's  Knocking  at  the  Door;  a 
tender,  practical  appeal. 

Bishop  Hall's  Scripture  History,  or 
Contemplations  on  the  Historical 
Passages  of  the  Old  and  New  Tes- 
taments. 

Alleine's  Heaven  Opened. 

Bishop  Hopkins  on  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments. Three  s'tandard  works 
of  the  times  of  Baxter. 

President  Edwards'  Thoughts  on  Re- 
vivals. 

Venn's  Complete  Duty  of  Man. 


Owen  on  Forgiveness,  or  Psalm  130. 

Gregory's  (Olinthus,  LL.D.)  Evi- 
dences of  Christianity. 

Riches  of  Bunyan. 

Paley's  Natural  Theology,  and  Horse 
Paulinas. 

Baxter's  Reformed  Pastor. 

Baxter's  Treatise  on  Conversion. 

Dr.  Spring's  Bible  Not  of  Man,  or 
the  Argument  for  the  Divine  Ori- 
gin of  the  Scriptures  drawn  from 
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Nelson's  Cause  and  Cure  of  Infi- 
delity. 

Memoir  of  Summerfield. 

Memoir  of  Mrs.  Isabella  Graham. 
A  new  and  standard  edition. 

Memoir  of  Mrs.  Sarah  L.  Huntington 
Smith. 

Sacred  Songs  for  Family  and  Social 
Worship.  Hymns  and  Tunes— 
with  a  separate  edition  in  patent 
notes.  Also,  the  Hymns  separately. 

Elegant  Narratives,  Select  Tracts, 
illustrated. 

Willison's  Afflicted  Man's  Com- 
panion. 

Doddridge's  Rise  and  Progress  of  Re- 
ligion in  the  Soul. 

Edwards'  History  of  Redemption. 

Volume  on  Infidelity,  comprising 
five  standard  treatises :  Soame 
Jenyns  on  the  Internal  Evidence  j 


OTHER  SPIRITUAL  "WORKS. 


Ed-wards  on  the  affections. 
Baxter's  Call  to  the  Unconverted. 
Alleine's  Alarm  to  the  Unconverted. 
Flavel's  Touchstone. 
Flavel  on  Keeping  the  Heart. 
Helffenstein's  Self-Deception. 


Guide  to  Acquaintance  "with  God. 
Pike's  Religion  and  Eternal  Life. 
Baxter's  Dying  Thoughts. 
Andrew  Fuller's  Backslider 
Redeemer's  Last  Command. 
Burder's  Sermons  to  the  Aged. 


MISCELLANEOUS  WORKS. 


Bogue's  Evidences  of  Christianity. 
Keith's  Evidences  of  Prophecy. 
M orison's  Counsels  to  Young  Men. 
Spirit  of  Popery,  [12  engravings.] 
The  Colporteur  and  Roman-catholic. 


POCKET  MANUALS. 


Mason  on  Self -Knowledge. 
Divine  Law  of  Beneficence. 
Zaccheus,  or  Scriptural  Plan  of  Be 

nevolence . 
Hymns  for  Social  Worship. 


Clarke's  Scripture  Promises. 
The  Book  of  Psalms. 
The  Book  of  Proverbs. 
Daily  Scripture  Expositor. 
Ten  Commandments  Explained, 
Advice  to  a  Married  Couple. 
Hymns  for  Infant  Minds. 
Daily  Food  for  Christians. 

BOOKS  FOR  THE  YOUNG. 


Chaplet  of  Flowers., 

Heavenly  Manna. 

Cecil  and  Flavel's  Gift  for  Mourners.,. 

Crumbs  from  the  Master's  Table. 

Milk  for  Babes. 

Provision  for  Passi  ig  over  Jordan 

Dew-Drops. 


MANY  OF   THEM  BEAUTIFULLY  ILLUSTRATED  WITH  ENGRAVINGS. 

Gallaudet's  Child's  Book  on  the  Soul. 

Children  Invited  to  Christ. 

Isabel. 

The  Dairyman's  Daughter,  etc. 

Walker's  Faith  Explained. 

Walker's  Repentance  Explained. 

Peet's  Scripture  Lessons. 

Child's  Book  of  Bible  Stories. 

Children  of  the  Bible. 

Amos  Armfield. 

The  Child's  Hymn-Book. 

Scripture  Animals,  [16  cuts.] 

Letters  to  Little  Children,  [13  cuts.] 


Gallaudet's  Scripture  Biography. 

Youth's  Book  of  Natural  Theology. 

Peep  of  Day. 

Line  upon  Line. 

Precept  upon  Precept. 

A-nzonetta  R.  Peters. 

The  Night  of  Toil. 

Hannah  More's  Repository  Tracts. 

Mary  Lundie  Duncan. 

Charlotte  Elizabeth. 

Advice  to  a  Young  Christian. 

Fletcher's  Lectures  to  Children. 

Scudder's  Tales  about  the  Heathen. 

Trees,   Fruits,  and  Flowers  of  the 


Great  Truths  in  Simple  Words. 


Margaret  and  Henrietta. 

Bartimeus. 

Pictorial  Tract  Primer. 

Watts'  Divine  and  Moral  Songs 

With  numerous  similar  works. 


uretjs,    JTJ.UIUS,    aii 

Bible,  [9  cuts.] 
John  D.  Lockwood. 
Memoir  of  Caroline  E .  Smelt. 
Martha  T.  Sharp. 
Jessie  Little. 

ALSO,  Dr.  Edwards'  Sabbath  Manual  and  Temperance  Manual,  and 
more  than  80  volumes  in  German,  French,  Spanish,  Welsh,  and  Danish. 

ALSO,  upwards  of  1,000  Tracts  and  Children's  Tracts,  separate,  bound,  oi 
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Portuguese,  Italian,  Dutch,  Danish,  Swedish,  and  Welsh. 

fijj**'  It  is  the  design  of  the  Society  to  issue  all  its  publications  in  good 
type,  for  the  poor  as  well  as  the  rich ;  and  to  sell  them,  as  nearly  as  may 
be  at  cost>  that  the  Society  may  neither  sustain  loss  nor  make  a  profit  by 
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O 
D 
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